National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America leadership raised concerns about the Section 232 tariff inclusion process and plans for an external revenue service in recent meetings on Capitol Hill and with agency officials, NCBFAA customs counsel Lenny Feldman said in an interview.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, at the Council on Foreign Relations, emphasized that Canada is aware that its proximity to the U.S. is no longer so enviable, since U.S. economic strategy "has clearly changed, from the support for the multilateral system to a more transactional and managed bilateral trade and investment approach."

The U.S. filed its opening brief at the Supreme Court on Sept. 19 in the lead cases on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the reciprocal tariffs and tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico meant to stop the flow of fentanyl are a valid exercise of IEEPA, adding that the tariffs are a proper expression of presidential policymaking in emergency situations.

The standing up by DOJ of the Trade Fraud Task Force indicates the Trump administration is pouring significantly more resources and attention into prosecuting tariff evasion and customs fraud, and will use the various criminal and civil enforcement tools at their disposal, various attorneys said.

Responding to our question on Whirlpool's claims that U.S. import data shows its competitors are evading tariffs (see 2509150067), a CBP spokesperson told us that import data has recently been skewed by accidental overreporting of the quantity of goods imported, causing an erroneous spike in import volumes for affected goods.

The U.S. is likely to impose more trade controls to push Chinese chips and other components out of American technologies, which could raise costs and make managing supply chains even more challenging, technology policy analysts said this week.

As importers mull their options on how to prepare for potential tariff refunds should the Supreme Court rule against the legality of IEEPA tariffs, importers should also be mindful of the potential pitfalls they might encounter as they preserve their rights to refunds from CBP, according to speakers during Flexport's Sept. 17 webinar on tariffs and updates on trade.

As the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee winds down in its current iteration, both trade and government officials expressed hope for continuing their collaboration as CBP shifts the committee's focus more toward trade enforcement, according to comments made during the COAC's quarterly meeting on Sept. 17.

The House of Representatives voted 213-211 to prevent any votes to end emergencies underlying reciprocal tariffs, fentanyl tariffs or the additional Brazil tariffs -- however, the vote nearly went the other way.

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