The Mexican Senate voted to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on June 19, positioning Mexico to become first of the three countries to approve the renegotiated NAFTA. There have been some initial movements toward consideration of the deal by the U.S. Congress, and Canada is seen as likely following the U.S.'s lead before its legislature gets fully engaged (see 1906110040).
Brian Feito
Brian Feito is Managing Editor of International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 10-16:
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 3-9:
Tariff engineering is still a legitimate option in the wake of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s June 7 decision on Ford Transit vans, but the practice may be more uncertain in the increasingly frequent circumstances wherein “use” is deemed a consideration in tariff classification, said trade lawyers contacted after the decision was issued.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of May 27 - June 2:
The Food and Drug Administration is still ramping up to full enforcement of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program regulations, but has already taken action against two importers for FSVP violations that were related to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, said A.J. Seaborn, chief of the import program development and implementation branch at FDA’s Division of Import Operations.
All willful or knowing violations of customs regulations on importation are criminal smuggling violations punishable by up to 20 years in prison, the New Mexico U.S. District Court said in a decision issued May 20. Wading into a circuit split that has developed on the issue, the district court held that, though 18 U.S.C. 545 defines smuggling as the knowing or willful importation of “any merchandise contrary to law,” all regulations qualify as laws for the criminal smuggling statute’s purposes.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of May 20-26:
The Commerce Department is proposing to amend its regulations to provide for the imposition of countervailing duties to address currency undervaluation. Under the proposed rule, Commerce would consider a foreign exporter’s currency exchanges a potential form of subsidy, and seek Treasury’s input in CV duty cases on the extent of undervaluation and whether that undervaluation is a result of government intervention. Comments are due June 27.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of May 13-19: