TradeLane

In early October this year, the Jakarta Post in Indonesia reported that after 35 days and intervention from the Ombudsman and several other government institutions, some imported fruits and horticultural products worth about $1.9 million USD detained by the Agricultural Ministry were finally released.

The European Union (EU) implements control measures for the export, transit, brokerage, and technical assistance of dual-use items in accordance with international non-proliferation treaties and governmental commitments. As items are an important parameter in EU export control measures, the use and users of the items are equally important. EU exporters must provide all necessary information on the end user and end-use for export authorizations. The end-use statement (EUS) is a useful means for measuring risk factors that come from the recipient of the items. However, is this useful tool properly being used for its intended purpose? Common misunderstandings regarding the EUS will be given below in the light of Tradewin's experience.

The US Government has increased its efforts to prevent goods produced wholly or in part by forced labor from entering the United States. This has taken the form of legislative action through the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and procedural actions like the use of Withhold Release Orders (WROs). As a natural extension, CBP has also enhanced forced labor requirements in the CTPAT Program.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued ruling H290535 on September 29^th, 2022, which specifies that CBP interprets suppliers providing HTS Classifications to US Importers of Record as “transacting customs business” and requiring a customs brokerage license.

The last several years have shown a spotlight across organizations on the importance of investing in and maintaining a sound trade compliance program. From additional tariffs on Chinese-origin products, to ever-expanding sanctions resulting from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, to regulatory and procedural changes worldwide, companies continue to invest in their compliance operations to manage their risk and pursue duty savings opportunities.