What Happened This Month In International Trade (June 2026)

Another busy month in international trade news. Here is a recap of what happened this month.

Administration

• On June 3, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order that aims to strengthen customs enforcement. The order increases bonding and data requirements for IORs, prohibits foreign importers from filing informal entries, requires additional documentation and certifications from importers, among other requirements.
• On June 1, 2026, President Trump issued a Proclamation providing 232 tariff reductions for agricultural equipment, mobile industrial equipment and machinery, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. The reductions take effect June 8, 2026.

Courts

• On June 2, 2026, the United States filed an appeal of the Court of International Trade’s April 17 order directing CBP to refund duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• A group of law firms filed an amicus brief with the CIT in the Euro-Notions Florida IEEPA case, arguing that the CIT should amend its refund orders to account for businesses and individuals who indirectly paid duties imposed under IEEPA.
• Twenty-three non-importer states filed a notice to appeal the Court of International Trade’s (CIT) May 7 ruling against Section 122 tariffs.
• The CIT held an IEEPA refund status hearing on June 9, during which CBP said that Phase 3 of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) will be ready in July, but that the agency is not authorized to process any finally liquidated entries for refunds.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• CBP issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) on copper products manufactured in Serbia by Serbia Zijin Copper D.O.O. at all ports of entry due to evidence of the use of forced labor in their production.
• CBP issued two Withhold Release Orders (WRO) on garments produced by Needle Craft and Casual Wear Apparel garment manufacturing factories in Jordan.
• CBP issued new guidance supplementing its 2022 UFLPA guidance. The document outlines CBP’s detention and exclusion processes and gives practical guidance on how to respond.
• CBP announced that it plans to revoke hundreds of customs brokers’ licenses for failure to file the triennial status report and pay applicable fees.
• CBP updated certain validations performed on entries included on CAPE declarations. The CSMS message identified specific error messages that, if received, require importers to resubmit their entry on a new CAPE Declaration.
• CBP notified the trade community that, pursuant to the recent Customs Enforcement Executive Order, CBP will deactivate Importer of Record (IOR) numbers in ACE that have not been used to file an entry for one or more years and that have no outstanding post-entry transactions.
• CBP published an interim final rule establishing that only parties with the right to make entry or licensed customs brokers will be allowed to file informal international mail entries for shipments under $2,500. The rule takes effect July 24, 2026.

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

• USTR published a Federal Register Notice proposing action under 301 against 60 economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
• USTR announced a Section 301 investigation of Vietnam’s acts, policies, and practices related to intellectual property protection and enforcement.
• USTR initiated an investigation under Section 301 to determine whether persistent underpayment for pharmaceutical products by Germany is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

• BIS announced a $36M settlement agreement with Robert Bosch GmbH (headquartered in Germany) covering shipments of foreign-produced items to Huawei Technologies Co., or its affiliates, without the required license.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

• OFAC published an “Introduction to the Office of Foreign Assets Control” guide to provide U.S and foreign persons a foundational understanding of how OFAC sanctions work and how to comply with them.
• OFAC announced a $1,050,000 settlement regarding its potential civil liability for its apparent violations of OFAC sanctions targeting Russia’s financial sector.
• As part of Economic Fury, OFAC sanctioned nine individuals and entities that have supported weapons procurement on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

U.S. Department of State

• The State Department announced sanctions against Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company Union Cuba-Petroleo (CUPET). All property and interests in property of CUPET that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

• The FMC said in a Notice that the agency will not adjust its civil monetary penalties for inflation for the 2026 calendar year.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• The FDA added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients, marking the first new active ingredient added to the over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s.

Congress

• The House Judiciary Committee passed the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act. The bill creates a DOJ task force to investigate and prosecute tariff evasion, violations of export restrictions, trade-based money laundering, smuggling, and other laws and regulations involving criminal activities relating to imports and exports.

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