A suspected June cyberattack on Livingston International highlighted the need for customs brokers to prepare for a potential breach, which could disrupt their operations and cut off communication with CBP and clients, industry experts said in interviews. They said brokers should formulate a detailed plan for how to respond, which may include hiring subcontractors, notifying customers and quickly reporting to federal agencies.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP has released its Aug. 2 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 57, No. 30). While it contains recent court decisions, no customs rulings are included.
Although solar module suppliers and manufacturers say they have split their supply chains to create product lines that comply with U.S. forced labor requirements, some continue to have ties to forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, Sheffield Hallam University said in a new report this week. The university also said it’s “sometimes impossible” to verify whether some of those companies' product lines are truly “XUAR-input-free,” adding that several major companies haven't disclosed “sufficient supply chain information” to prove their claims.
The U.S. and Mexico this week resolved a complaint involving workers' rights at the Draxton auto parts foundry in Irapuato, Guanajuato, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced July 31, marking the fifth time the countries agreed on a formal course of remediation under the USMCA's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Canada's International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) reached a new tentative labor agreement days after ILWU members voted against the previous tentative deal, ILWU Canada and BCMEA announced July 30. BCMEA said both sides are again "recommending ratification of the collective agreement to the union’s membership and member employers."
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act has "significantly impacted" U.S. fashion companies' "sourcing practices," and many importers are diversifying away from China and other countries in Asia to mitigate supply chain risks, the U.S. Fashion Industry Association said in its annual survey of industry executives released July 31. Nearly 80% percent of survey respondents said they plan to reduce apparel sourcing from China over the next two years, with a record high 15% planning to “strongly decrease” sourcing from the country.
Rebecca Dye of the Federal Maritime Commission proposed new sets of best practices for ocean carriers and marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Port of New York and New Jersey, covering activities surrounding container returns, earliest return dates and container pickups.