Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Trade
  3. CBP Trade News Snapshot
  4. Trade News Snapshot - Volume 6, Issue 11

Trade News Snapshot - Volume 6, Issue 11

  • EAC's Message

    Official Photo of AnnMarie Highsmith. Woman with short hair, wearing dark glasses posing in front of an American flag wearing a black suit

    While we’re all preparing for the holidays and enjoying time with family and friends this time of year, the CBP team has been particularly busy focusing on trade modernization and ensuring the security of global supply chains, two important priorities as we head into the holiday shopping rush.

    Early in November, I traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the World Customs Organization Technology Conference and Exhibition and then to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29). At both events, I worked with global leaders to find innovative ways to streamline trade processes, enhance data-sharing, develop international standards for the global trading community, and address some of the most pressing threats to global supply chains.

    At home, we ramped up our holiday “Shop Smart” campaign with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to raise awareness of the risks and economic impacts of counterfeit goods, as well as CBP’s efforts to stop them from entering our country. Shout out to acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner Rose M. Brophy, who completed a marathon media blitz of 13 media interviews in just 2 hours! It was hard work, but protecting consumers from the safety hazards associated with counterfeit goods is more than worth it.

    You can read more about these events and other recent activities and initiatives below. 

    Wishing you a wonderful holiday season − happy shopping!

    ~ Executive Assistant Commissioner AnnMarie R. Highsmith

Contents

  • EAC's Message
  • Office of Trade Activity
    • CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Asli Maydi
    • CBP updates continuing education requirements for customs brokers
    • Department of Homeland Security updates UFLPA Entity List
    • Office of Trade Task Force for Women holds mixer for gender equity leaders
    • CBP to collaborate with NOAA Fisheries to enhance the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program
  • Outreach
    • EAC Highsmith talks innovation at the World Customs Organization Technology Conference
    • CBP partners with U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the Shop Smart campaign
  • News You Can Use
    • Brownsville CBP agriculture specialists intercept first in port pest at Brownsville Seaport
    • CBP agriculture specialists in Louisville stop a shipment containing dead bats and birds
    • Cincinnati CBP discover more unapproved weight loss drugs
    • CBP intercepts record number of “First in the Nation” and “First in the Port" destructive pests in cut flowers at LAX
  • Trade Statistics
    • Monthly Trade Statistics 

Office of Trade Activity

CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Asli Maydi

On November 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Asli Maydi, a frankincense supplier based in Somalia, based on information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labor in violation of 19 U.S.C. § 1307 in the production of merchandise. In accordance with the WRO, CBP personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain frankincense and frankincense-based products sourced from Somalia by Asli Maydi. These products are commonly used in essential oils for fragrance and skincare.

The new WRO is the latest in CBP's efforts to eliminate forced labor from U.S. supply chains, and it brings the total that CBP oversees and enforces under 19 U.S.C. § 1307 to 51 WROs and eight findings. To learn more about the action, read the WRO press release.

CBP updates continuing education requirements for customs brokers

On November 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection published a new Federal Register Notice announcing that customs brokers can begin earning continuing education credits under the new CBP Continuing Education (CE) Program. The program aims to ensure all CBP licensed brokers remain up to date on evolving customs rules and relevant U.S. trade laws to facilitate compliant trade in the modern environment. It also serves as an additional layer of security against illegal trade from entering U.S. commerce.

Under the requirement, individually licensed brokers must earn 20 CE credits from qualifying educational activities that occur beginning January 1, 2025, through January 31, 2027, the end of the current triennial period, in order to maintain an active license.

For more information on the CE Program, visit the Customs Broker Continuing Education webpage.

Department of Homeland Security updates UFLPA Entity List

On October 31, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added four People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based textile companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, bringing the total number of companies on the list to 78. CBP applies a rebuttable presumption that goods produced by entities on the list will be prohibited from entering the United States. To learn more, read the DHS press release.

Office of Trade Task Force for Women holds mixer for gender equity leaders

Acting DEAC of the Office of Trade Rose Brophy speaks in front of a group of women

On November 14, CBP’s Office of Trade Task Force for Women hosted the inaugural Mixer for Gender Equity Leaders in Washington, DC. This event gathered 50 leaders from gender equity and women-focused employee resource groups across DHS to meet, network, and form connections with other leaders across the agency.

Office of Trade Acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (A(DEAC)) Rose M. Brophy delivered opening remarks at the event and shared her journey of breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated spaces.

 

CBP to collaborate with NOAA Fisheries to enhance the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program

On November 14, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries announced a new action plan to enhance the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) with collaboration from CBP. SIMP is a risk-based traceability program that works to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fish and fish products and misrepresented seafood from entering U.S. commerce.

The actions will enhance CBP’s enforcement efforts to detect and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, seafood fraud, and forced labor in supply chains. The collaboration will contribute to a whole-of-government approach to combatting these issues in the future.

Read more on the NOAA Fisheries SIMP action plan webpage.

Outreach

EAC Highsmith talks innovation at the World Customs Organization Technology Conference

Five people are seated on a stage in front of a screen displaying a globe

From November 12-14, Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner (EAC) AnnMarie R. Highsmith traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to discuss CBP’s collaborative efforts to use data, innovation, and technology to address modern trade challenges at the World Customs Organization’s Technology Conference.  

The theme of the conference was “Digital Frontiers: Customs Embracing Innovation with Traditional and New Partners.” Participants attended sessions exploring how the global customs community can take a forward-thinking approach to ensuring trade facilitation, border security, and the resilience of global supply chains and deploy innovative solutions supplemented by the support of a wide range of stakeholders. This year, the flagship event attracted nearly 1,300 registered participants from 117 countries.

Four people pose behind a sculpture that reads "WCOTECH 2024"

EAC Highsmith participated in a roundtable session titled “Unveiling New Tech Horizons through Collaboration and innovation for Seamless Trade,” in which she and three other panelists discussed technological innovations and the potential offered by cutting-edge technologies and data analytics. They also explored the critical role of data-driven innovation and emerging technologies in reshaping customs operations, showcasing strategies to improve efficiency, enhance real-time risk management, and foster seamless cross-border collaboration.

 

CBP partners with U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the Shop Smart campaign

In November, CBP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined forces for the annual Shop Smart holiday campaign to educate the public about the risks of counterfeit goods. As part of the effort, A(DEAC) Rose M. Brophy spoke to 13 media outlets across the United States offering helpful tips for consumers to  keep their families safe from the safety hazards associated with fake goods.

The fight against counterfeit goods is particularly important around the holidays, as illegal actors use the surge in demand as an opportunity to peddle counterfeits to unsuspecting consumers looking for a deal. These are typically made with inferior materials and lack the bench-testing other products receive to ensure high quality and, more importantly, safety. Counterfeit versions of popular holiday gifts have also been found to contain serious dangers, ranging from undisclosed choking and fire hazards to lead paint and high levels of mercury and arsenic.

For more information on the campaign and tips on how to shop smart this holiday season, visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Shop Smart” resources, as well as CBP’s Truth Behind Counterfeits website.

 

News You Can Use

Trade Statistics

Month Trade Statistics

In October 2024, CBP processed more than 3 million entry summaries valued at more than $308 billion, identifying estimated duties of nearly $7 billion to be collected by the U.S. government. Trade via the ocean environment accounted for 37 percent of the total import value, followed by air, truck, and rail. CBP identified 557 shipments valued at more than $38 million for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor, and which may be subject to a Withhold Release Order, Forced Labor Finding, or the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s rebuttable presumption prohibiting importation into the United States.

CBP seized 1,677 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $289 million. CBP also completed 11 audits that identified $3.6 million in duties and fees owed to the U.S. government for goods that had been improperly declared. CBP collected over $8 million of this identified revenue and from previous fiscal years’ assignments.

Last Modified: Dec 12, 2024