When most people think of counterfeits in the U.S., they think of luxury fashion -- purses and watches -- but CBP also is concerned about safety issues from counterfeit medicines, sunscreen, baby formula and poorly made electronics whose lithium-ion batteries can cause fires.
CBP in March identified 400 shipments valued at more than $122.7 million for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor, including goods subject to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and withhold release orders, the agency said in its most recent operational update. That's close to February's total of 481 shipments valued at more than $109 million (see 2303150067). CBP also seized 1,798 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $335 million, and completed 29 audits that identified $24.7 million in duties and fees owed to the U.S. government for goods that had been improperly declared, the agency said.
Audience members looking for answers on how to navigate the rebuttable presumption of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act got no answers from a panel on human rights and "responsible business conduct," though they were told that if Sheffield Hallam University researchers can uncover links to forced labor in supply chains, it's not that hard for businesses to do the same.
CBP has made "progress" on various port modernization projects since the enactment of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law (see 2111080043), acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Ryan Scudder said during CBP’s Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit April 17. Executive Assistant Commissioner Pete Flores said the funding was "needed" but stressed that it was just a "starting point" for CBP, as the planning for these projects takes time.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to CBP's website April 14, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to CBP's website April 13, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
CBP announced a “temporary suspension” on April 14 of commercial operations at the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso because of the “processing of an influx of migrants,” it said in a CSMS message. “Impact to the El Paso Field Office” CBP trade operations “will continue until further notice,” CBP said. “CBP will remain transparent and will reassess the migrant situation. Stakeholders will be provided updates related to additional contingency plans as they become available.”
A lack of specifics and dire consequences for listing companies on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List creates "an enormously high-stakes and error-prone" environment, customs lawyer John Foote of Kelley Drye said April 14 in a blog post.