Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it will extend Section 301 tariff exclusions on medical products used to treat COVID-19 for an additional 90 days. The 81 exclusions were originally set to expire on November 30, 2022; however, the exclusions will now apply to products meeting the specified criteria until […]

As you may already be aware, in May 2022, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) began an initial review to determine whether Section 301 tariffs should continue to be imposed on products from China—the four year anniversary of the enactment of the duties. Last month, after receiving more than 400 requests for continuation […]

The Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA) provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) provide for reduced rates or tax credits for certain quantities of beer, wine, and distilled spirits produced in or imported into the US. A recent change in the law transferred responsibility for administering the CBMA tax benefits for imported alcohol from Customs […]

Shapiro has received multiple reports that US rail workers from two of the biggest labor unions are preparing to strike once the cooling off period expires this Friday, September 16—which may cause significant delays and disruptions for US supply chains. Although Biden issued an Executive Order in July to establish the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), […]

On Friday, September 2, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that Section 301 tariffs would continue for List 1 and 2 products from China. The decision follows a May announcement from the USTR that informed companies that have benefited from Section 301 tariffs of the possible termination of the duties; it also […]

Shapiro has received multiple reports that workers at two of the busiest container ports in the United Kingdom (UK)—Felixstowe and Liverpool—have voted to strike as a result of ongoing wage disputes, which will likely cause delays and disruptions for UK supply chains. Beginning Sunday, August 21st, approximately 1,900 workers at the Port of Felixstowe will […]

After four straight days of dray trucker protests in Oakland, the port estimates that 12-16 vessels are at anchor waiting for a berth. The long line of vessels will only grow over the weekend. The truckers, mostly independent owner-operators, are furious over the speed of implementation and lack of clarity within California’s AB5 labor legislation. Cleverly, […]

Shapiro has received multiple reports that a group of truckers responsible for moving containers in and out of the marine terminals at the Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB) ports is participating in a work stoppage today (Wednesday, July 13) in protest of a controversial California state law, AB5. Owner operators are protesting outside the […]

On Friday, June 17th, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) enforcement strategy; the document was required to support the UFLPA’s rebuttable presumption that goods connected to the Xinjiang region are made with forced labor as of June 21, 2022. According to the Forced Labor Enforcement Task […]

Update as of 6/16/22: This afternoon, President Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22) into law. Per our initial ShapFlash, the US House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22) by a vote of 369-42. As always, Shapiro will continue to monitor […]

Over the weekend, a deadly fire erupted at the BM Container Depot in southeastern Bangladesh, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 300 others. The shipping container facility is in Sitakunda, near the port city of Chittagong. The cause of the fire is still unknown; however, officials believe that the facility became engulfed […]

The US Trade Representative (USTR) has announced another 6-month extension of Section 301 tariff exclusions on products used to treat COVID-19. All 81 product exclusions will now be extended until November 30, 2022.  The initial extension for all specified products was scheduled to expire on May 31, 2022. Click here to view the official notice. […]

Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a notice asking representatives of domestic industries to provide details regarding their utility of Section 301 tariffs since they first went into effect four years ago. In the announcement, the USTR informed companies that have benefited from Section 301 tariffs of the possible termination of […]

On Friday, April 8, 2022, President Biden officially signed the following bills into law to end permanent normal trade relations status for Russia and Belarus and to enact the previously announced ban on Russian oil: H.R. 6968 – the “Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act” bans any importation of energy products from the Federation of […]

Today, the Court of International Trade (CIT) released a ruling indicating that the US Trade Representative (USTR) had the authority to impose the List 3 and 4A Section 301 tariffs covering over $200 billion in Chinese goods. Although the decision was not in favor of the plaintiffs—a group comprised of over 3600 separate lawsuits—who argued […]

Update as of 4/4/22: The lockdown in Shanghai has been extended indefinitely as results of the city-wide COVID testing are still being reviewed, leaving Chinese supply chains in a state of uncertainty. The lockdown in Shanghai Pudong was initially set for March 28th – April 1st, with Shanghai Puxi following from April 1st – 5th. […]

On March 23rd, the U.S. Trade Representative announced the extension of 352 exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on China. The exclusions, which had previously expired, will remain in effect through December 31, 2022. The exclusions from Section 301 tariffs include: List 1: 89 Exclusions List 2: 34 Exclusions List 3: 187 Exclusions List 4: 42 […]

With consideration to the recent horrific developments between Russia and Ukraine, the advice from the government, and the newly imposed sanctions, Shapiro has elected to suspend handling brokerage and forwarding services for all goods originating or shipping to/from Russia, Belarus, and the Donetsk/Luhansk/Crimea regions of Ukraine. For imports, this change will be effective for shipments […]

China is currently facing its largest COVID outbreak since the pandemic initially broke out in 2020. Despite its success combating the virus with a “zero-tolerance” policy thus far, the Chinese government has been unable to contain the highly contagious Omicron variant sweeping across the country in recent weeks. In response to the rapid spike in […]

Earlier today, President Biden announced that the US, along with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the European Union, will revoke Russia’s Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) status in light of the country’s continued invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, the White House announced it would be taking the following measures: Banning export of luxury goods to Russia […]