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Clear Guidance.

On June 1, 2026, a Presidential Proclamation drastically modified the scope and structure of Section 232 trade remedies. CBP issued official guidance on this via CSMS #68855869 on June 5.

• Copper Added to Scope: Section 232 now applies to Copper alongside steel and aluminum derivative products.
• The "Full Value Rule" Change: In a major change, tariffs now apply to the entire product value of an imported item, not just its metal content value. This heavily increases duty exposure for finished electronics, industrial machinery, and complex components.
• New Rate Framework (Annex C):
  • Certain agricultural equipment, HVAC systems, and parts have been adjusted downward from 25% to a 15% compound maximum rate (base duty + 232 duty).
  • Country preferential caps are now active. For example, goods made of metals from Japan, South Korea, the UK, Taiwan, or the EU are capped at a maximum of 15% inclusive of base duty.
  • USMCA goods from Canada and Mexico apply the 25% tariff only to non-U.S. content , but with an effective total tariff floor of 15%.
• New HTS Codes: CBP added new Chapter 99 provisions ( 9903.79.01 through 9903.79.09 ) to track these modifications.

Following the conclusion of 60 simultaneous global investigations regarding failures to enforce forced labor import prohibitions, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced a massive new framework.

• The Proposal: Imposing additional ad valorem duties on virtually all products coming from 59 countries and the European Union , encompassing 99.4% of total U.S. imports.
• The Two-Tier System:
  • 10% Additional Duty: Applies to 15 countries and the EU that have reciprocal trade agreements or partial forced-labor enforcement.
  • 12.5% Additional Duty: Applies to 44 countries found to have no legal framework prohibiting the import of forced labor goods.
• Timeline for Brokers: This is not active yet . Public written comments are due by July 6, 2026 , and public USTR hearings will begin July 7, 2026 . Notably, the USTR stated these will not stack on top of active Section 232 duties.

Brokers have been tracking the legality of temporary Section 122 tariffs.

• On May 7, 2026, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled that these tariffs were unlawful.
• However, on June 11, 2026 , the Federal Circuit issued a stay on that enforcement. This means importers must continue paying Section 122 tariffs as normal while the government's appeal plays out.

Published in the Federal Register in late May, a new bilateral agreement officially went into effect retroactively for goods entered on or after May 1, 2026.

• The Rule: The United States has removed all derivative Section 232 steel, aluminum, and copper tariffs specifically from aircraft components that are legal products of Taiwan.

Why 2026 is Different: Since February 2026, CBP has shifted exclusively to electronic refunds and the CAPE tool. If your broker isn't comfortable with ESAR database overrides or Phase 1 Liquidation boundaries, you risk missing the 180-day protest window for archived entries. We stay ahead of the technology so you stay ahead of the competition.

Following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating IEEPA tariffs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has officially announced the rollout of a new mass-refund system.

If you paid IEEPA duties on imported goods last year, here is everything you need to know about how we are securing your refunds through the new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system.

1. The New CAPE Portal Launches April 20, 2026 To handle the massive volume of refunds, CBP is moving away from manual, entry-by-entry Post Summary Corrections (PSCs). Instead, CBP is deploying a centralized CAPE portal inside the ACE Secure Data Portal.

Phase 1 of this portal officially goes live on Monday, April 20, 2026.

2. Phase 1 Eligibility CBP is processing these mass refunds in phases. During the initial April 20 launch, the CAPE system will only accept entries that fall into the following categories:

• Unliquidated entries
• Liquidated entries within 80 days of their liquidation date (to allow CBP to voluntarily reliquidate within the 90-day statutory window)
• Suspended, Extended, or Under Review entries
• Warehouse and Warehouse Withdrawal entries

Note: If your entries are "finally liquidated" (older than 80-90 days past liquidation), CBP has stated these will be processed in a subsequent phase later this year.

More detail: Services page and News & Blog.