University of Delaware Professor Sheng Lu, who specializes in Fashion and Apparel Studies, told an audience from the U.S. Fashion Industry Association that although there are good reasons to want to source more apparel from Central America and the Dominican Republic -- to avoid forced labor from Xinjiang or generally reduce China exposure -- growth is unlikely unless Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement countries are able to access more nylon, viscose, wool or linen fabrics.
Apparel imported through the port at Newark, New Jersey, held under suspicion of being manufactured using forced labor was found to be inadmissible by CBP, in an April 26 ruling. In a rare ruling focused on forced labor, CBP found that importer Muji U.S.A. failed to provide satisfactory evidence that the goods were not manufactured with forced labor or that their supply chain was not connected with the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, finding the goods are subject to a withhold release order on Xinjiang cotton.
Some U.S. states were willing to pay Volkswagen more than Canada was for a new Volkswagen electric vehicle factory, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. But, Trudeau said, when Canada matched the national incentives offered by the Inflation Reduction Act, Ontario's other advantages were enough to land the major economic development win.
NEW ORLEANS -- While a CBP pilot on pipeline imports may not at first glance have relevance for many importers, the ramifications of the pilot could have wide-ranging effects for importers and customs brokers as CBP applies any lessons learned to its development of ACE 2.0, according to Amy Magnus of A.N. Deringer.
A majority in the House voted to restore antidumping and countervailing duties on Southeast Asian solar panels ruled by the Commerce Department to be circumventing antidumping duties on the products from China, but the 221 votes in favor are far from a veto-proof majority.
CBP is providing an additional benefit to Trade Compliance program members of its Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, the agency said in a letter to CTPAT members posted to the agency’s website April 26. Since March 5, the agency has been offering preliminary notifications of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act holds, CBP said.
CBP modified a withhold release order on imports of synthetic disposable gloves manufactured by the Smart Glove group of companies, and will now allow gloves from the Malaysian company to enter the U.S. “provided they are otherwise in compliance with U.S. laws,” it said. “Shipments of Smart Glove’s synthetic gloves received on or after April 26, 2023 will no longer be detained at U.S. ports of entry,” CBP said. The original WRO was issued in 2021 (see 2111040045).
Changes to the de minimis statute, whether excluding China or changing the threshold, have gotten the most attention in Congress of any possible customs legislative change, but CBP says its 21st Century Customs Framework will not touch the issue.
Three senators asked Shein's CEO if the company's suppliers use cotton from Xinjiang, if they use laboratory testing to ensure there is no Xinjiang cotton in its garments, and other questions aimed at learning whether apparel made in part with forced labor is making it into the U.S. through the de minimis importation lane (see 2302090039).
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