Alexandra Blake

Section 232 Metal Derivatives in 2026: Full Customs Value, the 85% Rule and Copper Smelt Reporting

From 8 June 2026 Section 232 duties apply to the entire customs value of a covered derivative rather than to its metal content, which multiplies the bill on low-metal products. The same proclamation cut the domestic-content threshold from 95% to 85%, and copper smelt and cast reporting became mandatory on 30 July 2026. Here is the arithmetic, the two annexes, and the furnace-level evidence each part needs.

CBP Penalty Mitigation Changes on 1 September 2026: A Prior Disclosure Playbook

Within 90 days of 3 June 2026, so around 1 September, CBP must set a minimum penalty floor of not less than 50% of the assessed penalty, with the only exception tied to national security, and end mitigation for repeat offenders. Here is how section 1592 penalties are built, what prior disclosure still buys you, and why the date is a deadline for CBP rather than a grace period for you.

Duty Drawback in 2026: Recovering Up to 99% of Tariffs You Already Paid

Duty drawback refunds up to 99% of eligible duties when imported goods are exported or destroyed. Section 301 duties qualify, Section 232 metals do not, and more than 2,120 tariff lines are exempt from the new July action. Check the exemptions before you size the refund.

GPSR in 2026: A Product-Safety and Responsible-Person Guide for Non-EU Sellers

Since December 2024 the EU's General Product Safety Regulation (2023/988) requires every non-EU seller to appoint an EU Responsible Person. Here is what that means for your listings, labelling and border clearance in 2026.

Foreign Trade Zones and Free Zones 2026: A Duty-Deferral Playbook

How US Foreign Trade Zones and MENA free zones actually cut duty through deferral, inverted tariff, weekly entry and re-export relief, when they pay off, and why tighter 2026 customs enforcement makes them a sharper tool.

NMFC Freight Classification Reform 2026: An LTL Shipper's Guide

The NMFTA's 2025 shift from commodity-based to density-based freight classification reset LTL pricing. Here is what changed, why it moves your rates, and the practical steps an LTL shipper should take now.

Lacey Act Phase VII Import Declarations in 2026: An Importer's Guide

Since 1 December 2024, Lacey Act Phase VII requires an import declaration for nearly every plant-based product, and paper PPQ 505 filing ended on 1 January 2026. Here is how importers file in ACE or LAWGS.

Importer of Record in 2026: Duties, Liability, Bonds

Who is the importer of record, what liability they carry under 19 CFR and 19 U.S.C. 1592, how a non-resident importer posts a bond, and why DDP can make the seller the IOR in 2026.

ISPM-15 Wood Packaging Rules: A 2026 Exporter's Guide

A practical exporter's guide to ISPM-15 wood packaging compliance: how heat treatment works, how to read the IPPC wheat stamp, what is exempt, and how to keep pallets from stopping your cargo at the border.

First Sale Rule and Legal Ways to Cut US Duty in 2026

The 2026 tariff stack pushed Section 232 to 50%. Here is how US importers legally lower duty, from the First Sale Rule and drawback to tariff engineering and foreign-trade zones, without crossing into fraud.

CPSC eFiling in 2026: An Importer's Guide to the ACE Mandate

Since 8 July 2026, importers of regulated consumer products must eFile certificate data into CBP's ACE at entry. Here is what to file, who is liable, and how to avoid a detained container.

SOLAS VGM (Verified Gross Mass): Methods, Responsibility, Deadlines and Penalties (2026 Guide)

What the verified gross mass rule requires in 2026: the two weighing methods, who is legally responsible, submission cut-offs, tolerances and the penalties for a late or wrong VGM.