On December 19, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $54.4 million settlement with Ceratizit USA, LLC, a distributor of tungsten carbide products, resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by evading customs duties on products imported from China. This settlement is believed to be the largest ever customs-related
Customs
Changing EU E-Commerce Rules: New Import Charges Ante Portas
As part of ongoing EU customs reform, the EU’s Council has agreed to remove the duty-free entry of goods valued below €150, formerly known as de minimis, to address the surge in low-value e-commerce shipments. Noticing large volumes imported from foreign marketplaces, the Netherlands proposed in January 2025 to remove simplifications for individual e-commerce…
Update on Parallel Federal Court Cases Enjoining IEEPA
The Court of International Trade (“CIT”) and the District Court for the District of Columbia (“DDC”) both issued decisions enjoining the Trump IEEPA tariffs. In both venues, the government appealed the courts’ decisions, and both orders are currently stayed. The DDC stayed its own preliminary injunction pending appeal; the U.S. Court…
District Court Denies Motion to Move Venue, Grants Preliminary Injunction
On May 29, a day after the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) issued summary judgment in V.O.S. v. Trump blocking the IEEPA tariffs, the District Court for the District of Columbia (“DDC”) exercised jurisdiction in Learning Resources, Inc., et. al., v. Donald J. Trump, et. al. (25-cv-1248), denying the government’s motion to transfer the…
Court of International Trade Blocks IEEPA Tariffs
On May 28, 2025, the Court of International Trade granted summary judgment in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. et al v. Donald J. Trump Case No. 25-cv-66, ordering that all the executive orders imposing tariffs on the basis of IEEPA (Executive Order 14193, Executive Order 14194, Executive Order 14195, Executive Order 14257), were declared to be invalid…
Withhold Release Order Issued on Shanghai Select Safety Products and Subsidiaries
17 months since it’s last issuance of a Withhold Release Order (WRO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revives its enforcement mechanism to target a Chinese importer and its affiliates operating in the safety products industry.
Effective Wednesday, April 10, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will detain work gloves manufactured by Shanghai Select…
Cassidy, Whitehouse Propose Customs Modernization Act to Enhance CBP Authority, Strengthen Enforcement
On December 8, Senate Finance Committee members Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the “Customs Modernization Act of 2023.” The act, which would amend the Tariff Act of 1930 “to strengthen the authorities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) to enforce the customs and trade laws of the United States,” enhances CBP’s…
Detained Shipments Exceeding $1.3 Billion in UFLPA’s First Year
A year following the commencement of the UFPLA (Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act) in June 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has apprehended nearly 4,300 shipments subject to UFLPA review or enforcement actions, with a combined value exceeding $1.3 billion. According to the agency’s data, this represents a significant increase compared to the $485 million…
Congress Continues to Target Section 321 – Lawmakers call for USPS data on China-Origin Shipments
On June 28, 2023, Mike Gallagher (R-WI) , Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and James Comer (R-KY), Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, jointly sent a formal letter addressed to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting data on Chinese-origin mail and shipments entering the United States. The letter also…
Legislation on Higher Tariffs on China Seeks to Reduce U.S. Trade Deficit
The Raising Tariffs on Imports from China Act was introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and aims to increase tariffs on imports from China until the United State’s bilateral trade deficit returns to balance. In tandem with this legislation, Senator Hawley is pushing for debt limit talks to focus on the reduction of the trade…