Insights on Customs & Import Compliance

International Trade & Investment Partner, Megan Barnhill, and Senior Associate, Mario Torrico, will speak at the 3rd International Trade Compliance Forum, Is Geopolitics the New Driving Force Behind International Trade? Risks and Strategies in the New Global Balance of Power, taking place November 12-13, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

As election officials continue tabulating the results across the nation, it is clear that Congressional Democrats will have robust majorities in the US House of Representatives and US Senate during the 120th Congress. In a midterm election that featured a Democratic takeover of historic proportions, we saw a combination of expected and unexpected results that led some observers to doubt it was real. One Democratic television commentator exclaimed, “Don’t wake me up,” since the wins that were piling up were more than he could have dreamed of.

On October 28, 2026, members of ArentFox Schiff’s International Trade & Investments and False Claims Act Investigations & Litigation practices, including Jackson D. Toof, Nadia Patel, Mario Torrico, and Rebekkah Stoeckler, will lead a webinar examining the US Department of Justice’s and Department of Homeland Security’s expanding enforcement efforts targeting customs and trade fraud under the False Claims Act through their joint Trade Fraud Task Force (TFTF) and the newly established Global Trade and Commerce Enforcement Section (GTCES).

Welcome to the October 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

Partner and Customs Practice Leader, Angela M. Santos, will moderate the panel “Navigating the New Trade and Tariff Landscape: Legal Strategies for U.S. Importers, Exporters and Global Trade Partners in an Era of Unprecedented Trade Disruption” at the NYSBA International Section 2026 Global Conference on October 21 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued guidance to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on how to assess “U.S. content” in certain products of Canada and Mexico.

In this episode of Five Questions, Five Answers, Birgit Matthiesen, David R. Hamill, Antonio J. Rivera, and James Kim discuss how businesses can navigate today’s evolving trade and tariff landscape. They explore the importance of avoiding reactive decisions, managing risk, and working with trusted advisors to address trade challenges with confidence.

International Trade Partner James Kim was quoted in a recent newsletter discussing a legal challenge to US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) method of calculating tariffs on steel imports.

Partner and Customs Practice Leader, Angela Santos, will speak on the “Trade and Compliance: A Panel Discussion” panel at the Gemini Members Meeting on September 30 from 2:15–3:00 p.m.

International Trade & Investment Partner, James Kim, and Director, North American Manufacturing, Birgit Matthiesen, will speak at the Canadian Transportation Equipment Association (CTEA) Annual Conference as part of the conference’s Trade & Tariffs Session on September 29, 2026.

On June 3, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14411, “Strengthening Customs Enforcement,” which directed a sweeping overhaul of the importer of record (IOR) framework, restricted foreign IORs, raised penalty floors, imposed new disclosure and certification requirements, and directed the government to strengthen customs enforcement.

Partner and Customs Practice Leader Angela Santos will speak on the panel, “Policy, Trade, Tariffs, Credits: From Solar 1 to 232 and Everything in Between,” at Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 on September 22, 2026, in Austin, Texas. The session will take place from 5:40 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will close out the first day of the conference.

Welcome to the September 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

As Section 338 emerges as a newly active trade enforcement tool, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking public comment on how it should fulfill its monitoring and advisory responsibilities under Section 338(g).

In this episode of Five Questions, Five Answers, Birgit Matthiesen, David R. Hamill, James Kim, and Antonio J. Rivera explore the complexities of tariffs, including stacking, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) implications, and enterprise risk management amidst global trade tensions.

Welcome to the August 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

International Trade Partner James Kim was quoted on the sharp increase of tariff refund lawsuits filed by importers in the US Court of International Trade.

Tariffs and supply-chain pressures remain a constant operational reality for fashion brands and retailers.

At the midpoint of 2026, the agriculture industry is navigating a complex and ever-changing legal landscape shaped by the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), trade and capital-market uncertainty, regulatory reform, and other policy issues.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is increasingly using the False Claims Act (FCA) to pursue customs fraud, tariff evasion, and duty underpayments, resulting in significant settlements and expanded enforcement activity.

Welcome to the July 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

On July 20, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing an additional 50% ad valorem duty on Canadian-origin alcoholic beverages imported into the United States, effective 12:01 AM ET, August 19. The action is a direct, sector-matched response to Canada’s provincial bans on the purchase, distribution, and retailing of US alcoholic beverages, which have been in effect across virtually all provinces and territories since March 2025.

International Trade Partner James Kim was quoted on President Trump’s pivot to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 as a means to impose tariffs of up to 50% on Canadian imports.

On July 14, the US Department of Justice (DOJ), together with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), held a major news conference in Chicago, Illinois, announcing that the Trade Fraud Task Force has surpassed $1 billion in criminal and civil recoveries, penalties, forfeitures, and charged losses in less than one year since its launch.

Join International Trade & Investment Counsel Katie Gustafson for a virtual discussion examining the pharmaceutical industry’s evolving tariff landscape, including Section 232 investigations, proposed 100% tariffs, complex multi-tiered rate structures, and key exemption considerations.