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Many importers which purchase goods from Chinese vendors are unaware that some of those products (especially those made in factories in northern China) are made/assembled by laborers from North Korea "working" in China. However, that labor pool can consist of prisoners, indentured workers who perform labor pursuant to "contracts" that pay them next to nothing, or laborers otherwise forced to work against their will. Thanks to legislation passed by Congress in August (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or "CAATSA"), importers will have to ramp up their "due diligence" of potential and actual vendors to prevent items manufactured with prohibited forms of labor from entering the U.S. - even though the applicable law in this area (19 U.S.C. § 1307) has been on the books since passage of the Tariff Act of 1930.
CBP recently updated its "Reasonable Care" Informed Compliance Publications with a new section on "Forced Labor" - and is now sending out Requests for Information (Customs Form 28) to obtain confirmation from importers that reliable procedures are in place to address this law, and that periodic audits of vendors in this area are taking place.
To read on the updates in the Informed Compliance Publication, please see the link below:
(Link no longer active).
On February 11, 2025, the President issued a proclamation regarding the importation of steel and aluminum articles, increasing tariff rates to 25% from all countries. As part of that proclamation, it was announced that there would be expanded 25% tariffs to include key downstream products (derivatives) for both steel and aluminum. The Annex containing those products has been drafted and is expected to be officially published in the Federal Register on February 18, 2025.
Key Points:
• There are 167 new codes for steel downstream products (derivatives) subject to the 25% tariff referenced in this proclamation (covering 4 different chapters of the HTSUS).
• There are 123 new codes for aluminum downstream products (derivatives) subject to the 25% tariff referenced in this proclamation (covering 11 different chapters of the HTSUS).
To read the draft Federal Register, and access our Excel listing of HTS affected, click the links below:
For February, we are highlighting Jacquelyn Bakker, our CHB Manager in the JAS Chicago office. Jacqulyn started her career in the industry in 2012 in an accounting role before moving into the brokerage side in 2014. In her words, that’s when she “found my niche.” Jacquelyn joined JAS in 2018. After being named as the Brokerage Supervisor, Jacquelyn decided to take on the “daunting task” of obtaining her broker’s license. After 3 months of studying, Jacquelyn was able to pass on the first try! Jacquelyn manages a team of 6 entry writers in our Chicago branch and CHB manager. Jacquelyn is detail oriented and attentive to the needs of her clients internally and externally!
Jacquelyn has a 19-year old daughter, loving fiance and 2 dogs at home. She enjoys family time BBQing in the summer, taking the dogs for longs walks, playing Pokemon Go with family and seeing movies in the theater.
Jacquelyn is yet another great example that People Make the Difference!
CBP is leading global efforts in combating forced labor by imposing import bans on goods produced with forced labor. This has inspired international action, including the European Union’s adoption of similar measures and the inclusion of forced labor prohibitions in the USMCA. CBP’s actions have also driven labor reforms, notably in Malaysia, which launched a National Action Plan on Forced Labor and ratified an international protocol to combat forced labor. These advancements demonstrate CBP’s significant influence in shaping global supply chain accountability and driving positive change.
Read more about it by checking out the link below:
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