In an effort to combat forced labor, Customs and Border Protection declared aluminum as the fourth product added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA) which includes tomatoes, polysilicon and cotton. Though the US imports very little aluminum from China, the act is likely to mostly impact auto parts coming from the Xinjang Uyghur...Read More

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is looking into retaliation behavior by ocean carriers as they implement the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. With stronger protections against retaliation and discrimination from carriers, the FMC looks to better level the playing field in 2023.    “The Ocean Shipping Reform Act made it clear that it is...Read More

The United States Trade Representative has extended the Section 301 exclusions on eighty-one “COVID-related” items for another ninety days. After considering the public comments on how critical these products are in the fight against pandemic-related outbreaks, an extension was necessary.    News of the Section 301 tariffs has quieted to a dull hum in the...Read More

After talking breathlessly about the possibility of a rail strike and how the world held steady under the threat thereof, the news on the logistics front dried up for a brief moment as trickles of thoughts about peak season, trans-Pacific rates, and equipment imbalances moved in separate news cyclones instead of offering a full picture...Read More

President Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022 on June 16, 2022, after it passed through Congress with bipartisan support.  In a rare moment of agreement, Congress worked together to pass the OSRA, giving more power to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to investigate reports of carrier issues, misapplied fees and refusing...Read More

The United States Trade Commission has announced that it will be investigating the economic impact of Section 232 and 301 Tariffs on U.S. industries. In addition, the USTC will be holding a public hearing on the effects of these tariffs July 21, 2022. This is exciting news because this gives our industry opportunities to be...Read More

The Section 301 tariff exclusions on Chinese manufactured goods have been updated to allow exemptions on 352 of the original 549 exemptions that were initially provided. The reinstated exclusions will be retroactive back to October 12, 2021, and valid through December 31, 2022. The validation comes after a public comment period that looks into whether...Read More

On March 1, 2022, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) introduced a temporary stoppage on all cargo bookings to and from Russia effective immediately. It covers all access areas including the Baltics, Black Sea, and Far East Russia. Humanitarian goods, medical equipment, and food, however, are considered essential goods by MSC and will still be accepted...Read More

Updating the HTS codes every 5 years, the World Customs Organization has begun updating it again this year. However, this did not take effect as originally planned on January 1 2022. Throughout 2021, there were signals indicating that the update would take effect on time. The likelihood of which diminished as December passed without the...Read More

There’s more than a bit of chaos in the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California with the new bill being passed and taking effect as of November 1st 2021. Starting November 15th, the compounded fees for containers in the ports will start being assessed.  Under the 90-day policy, the Port of Los Angeles...Read More