26-0727: Monday's "Export/Import Daily Bugle"

1. Today's Federal Register (No items of interest.)

(Source: Today's Federal Register)

2. Future Federal Register

(Source: Future Federal Register)

3. CBP Cargo Systems Messages

(Source: DHS/CBP/CSMS)

4. CBP Events in July and August 2026

(Source: OTR Webinars)

5. Commerce/BIS Streamlines Export Controls for Firearms Sound Suppressors

(Source: Commerce/BIS, 27 Jul 2026)

Last week, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that, as of November 20, 2026, the export of certain silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors is subject to BIS's Export Administration Regulations, rather than the State Department's U.S. Munitions List.
     This deregulatory action aligns export controls on suppressors with the controls already applied to firearms.
     Under this rule, suppressors will be added to the Commerce Control List (CCL), and BIS will require a license for certain exports, reexports, or in-country transfers of the newly controlled suppressors, including releases of related software and technology to foreign persons. License exceptions currently available for firearms will also be available for suppressors.
     "This deregulatory action on suppressors is a common-sense move that alleviates the compliance burden on America's proud firearms industry, while continuing to protect national security," said Jeffrey I. Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security.
     For additional information, please see the BIS and Department of State Federal Register notices implementing the regulatory changes described above, which are available online here and here.

6. DoD/DSCA Updates Policy Memo 26-83, "Clarification Changes"

(Source: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, 24 Jul 2026)

DSCA posted Policy Memo 26-83 Clarification Changes. This memorandum updates the Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM) with clarification changes. This memorandum does not contain contextual policy changes.

7. State/DDTC Posts Updated List of Debarred Parties

(Source: State/DDTC, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

Notice is hereby given that the Department of State has imposed statutory debarment under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) on persons convicted of violating, or conspiracy to violate, the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) at 91 FR 46821 (PDF, 205 KB).
     Click here to see the updated list of Statutorily Debarred Parties.

8. Treasury/OFAC Posts Sanctions List Updates

(Source: Treasury/OFAC, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

OFAC has made the following updates to its sanctions lists as part of its ongoing effort to remove and update old information on its sanctions lists.
     As part of this effort, OFAC has consolidated 18 duplicate list entries in which a distinct target appears on OFAC's sanctions lists multiple times.
     Although OFAC has removed certain duplicate entries, the persons and property associated with those entries remain sanctioned and any related assets also remain blocked. The following chart provides detailed information on what duplicate entries were removed and provides the unique identifiers (UIDs) for the information removed and the data that were retained. See chart HERE.

9. White House Executive Actions (No items of interest.)

(Source: The White House)

10. Breaking Defense: "Pentagon Inks Deal with L3Harris to Ramp Rocket Motor Production"

(Source: Breaking Defense News, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

L3Harris has reached a framework agreement with the Pentagon to ramp up solid rocket motor production for PAC-3 missiles and THAAD interceptors over the next seven years, the department announced today.
     The two agreements with L3Harris come as the Pentagon aims to boost weapons production following the war in Ukraine and as operations in Iran have prompted questions about US munitions levels. The deals are the first to center around the critical technology of solid rocket motors, which has long been a chokepoint for missile production as a result of its fractured, fragile industrial base. . . .

[Full article]

11. Diaz: "USTR Announces Section 301 Action Imposing New Tariffs on 60 Trading Partners"

(Source: Customs & International Trade Law Blog, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Author: Jennifer Diaz, Esq., Diaz Trade Law LLP

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced a new Section 301 action imposing additional tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies that fail to prohibit or effectively enforce bans on goods produced with forced labor. The action covers the top 60 U.S. trading partners, representing 99.4% of U.S. imports, and took effect July 24, 2026. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued entry filing guidance in CSMS #69326983, including the applicable Chapter 99 tariff headings.

Key Takeaways:

12. Expeditors News: "CBP Provides Guidance on Brazil Section 301 Duties"

(Source: Expeditors News, 24 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

In a Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) bulletin published on July 21, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided implementation guidance for the 25% Section 301 tariff applicable to products from Brazil.
     CBP's guidance outlines the applicable Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes for the Section 301 duties, HTS sequences, its applicable exemptions, and a list of classifications that can be used to claim those exemptions.
     Imported Brazilian goods that have been properly claimed under an eligible Chapter 98 HTS code will not be subject to the Section 301 duties.
     Products of Brazil that are subject to the Section 301 duties and entered into a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) may only be admitted in "privileged foreign status" unless eligible for admission under "domestic status."
     The Section 301 duties apply to Brazilian origin goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EDT) on July 22, 2026. . . . [Full article]
     CSMS # 69302472 and a list of applicable exemption classifications can be found HERE.

13. Space News: "Intel Debuts New Chip for Space Computing"

(Source: Space News, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts of subscription publication]

Intel Corp., one of the world's largest semiconductor companies, has spent the past several years quietly developing a processor for satellites as the company looks to tap growing demand for onboard artificial intelligence and data processing in a market long served by specialized aerospace chip makers.
     The processor, still undergoing testing, is designed for resilient, high-power performance in space — an environment too harsh and unforgiving for most hardware.
     In an interview, Sean O'Neill, deputy director of product development at Intel Government Technologies, said the chip is expected to be initially available to customers by the end of the year.
     Intel Government Technologies, the business unit focused on the federal market, posted a fact sheet in July on the new processor, called Starfire. . . . [Full article]

14. Star: "Trump Imposes New 12.5% Tariff on Singapore, Affecting One-Third of Exports to US"

(Source: The Star (Singapore), 25 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

SINGAPORE: About one-third of Singapore's domestic exports to the United States are now subject to a new 12.5 per cent tariff aimed at rebuilding US President Donald Trump's tariff regime after its legal basis was undermined by a court decision earlier in 2026. Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said the new tariff took effect at 12.01am Eastern Time on July 24.
     A US Federal Register notice published on July 23 listed Singapore among dozens of economies facing duties of between 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent following an investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) into forced-labour concerns. . . .
     The USTR investigation, which began in March and concluded in July, placed Singapore among 45 economies that will face 12.5 per cent duties. The USTR said these economies had failed to adopt and effectively enforce prohibitions on trade in goods produced with forced labour.
     Goods from about 10 trading partners deemed to have adopted forced-labour restrictions, including Mexico, Britain, Canada and India, will face 10 per cent tariffs.
     Goods from Japan, Switzerland and South Korea will also be subject to 12.5 per cent tariffs, but in a manner that complies with the trade agreements they have reached with the US. . . . [Full article]

15. ST&R Trade Report: "Forced Labor Tariffs Imposed on 86 Countries"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced that additional tariffs of 10 or 12.5 percent will be imposed on imports from 86 countries starting July 24 following a Section 301 determination that they have failed to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on imports of goods made with forced labor.
     It should be noted that at the same time these tariffs were imposed, the 10 percent Section 122 tariff on virtually all imports from all countries expired.
     Tariff Rates. USTR is imposing the following Section 301 tariffs, which the agency said will affect 99.4 percent of all U.S. imports: . . . [Full article]

16. ST&R Trade Report: "The Week Ahead: Tariffs, Trade Policy, AGOA, Classification"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

Following are highlights of regulatory effective dates and deadlines and other trade-related events coming up this week:

17. Wall Street Journal: "Inside China's All-Out Push to Catch Up with American AI Chips"

(Source: WSJ.com, 23 Jul 2026) [Excerpts of subscription service.]

Last summer, top Chinese chip developer Huawei Technologies held a closed-door briefing for the country's technology czar to introduce its latest artificial-intelligence chips.
     The company laid out a plan for rivaling American behemoth Nvidia and said China could become self-sufficient in some critical areas of AI within three years.
     It was just what Ding Xuexiang, a confidant of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, wanted to hear. Three years earlier, Washington had squeezed China's access to cutting-edge AI chips and the tools required to manufacture them—a potentially crippling blow to the country's ambitions as a tech power. With Xi's blessing, Vice Premier Ding started a fevered effort to forge domestic alternatives. . . .
     In AI software, China is giving the U.S. an unexpected run for its money. Last week, Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI unveiled a new model, Kimi K3, that closely trails the performance of top models from American AI giants OpenAI and Anthropic. Xi delivered a speech positioning China as the global champion of open, accessible AI. Shares in U.S. chip makers fell.

[Full article]

18. Akin: "A Billion-Dollar Milestone: The Trade Fraud Task Force Signals a New Era of Criminal and Civil Trade Enforcement"

(Source: Akin Gump Insights, 20 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Gerald (Gerry) M. Moody Jr., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

On July 14, 2026, the Trade Fraud Task Force ("TFTF") announced that, in less than a year, it had generated more than $1 billion in civil and criminal recoveries, penalties, forfeitures and publicly charged losses.
     Accompanying the milestone, the Department of Justice ("DOJ") announced two significant new criminal cases, established a dedicated litigating section devoted to customs and trade enforcement, and—together with the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), including its component agencies, Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") and U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP")—released a first-of-its-kind resource guide for the private sector.
     The announcement and resource guide follow President Trump's June 3rd Executive Order on Strengthening Customs Enforcement, which also called for robust criminal and civil enforcement of the customs laws.
     The diverse range of industries featured in the TFTF's enforcement actions is particularly noteworthy, and it reinforces that customs and trade fraud includes material misrepresentations to CBP and the partner government agencies ("PGAs") whose laws CBP has long enforced at U.S. borders, such as . . .
     DOJ and CBP are leveraging robust cooperation among PGAs and U.S. Attorneys' Offices. The initial announcement of the Task Force launch in August 2025 mentioned the planned partnership among DOJ, CBP and HSI.
     This latest announcement features an expanded "masthead" of Federal partners, including 35 U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and law enforcement personnel from various PGAs, among others.
     Together, these developments confirm that customs and trade fraud enforcement is a durable, institutionalized priority for the United States government and the Trump Administration. . . . [Full article]

19. Baker/McKenzie: "UK National Security (State Threats) Act 2026: New Designation Regime for State-Linked Threats and Proxy Organisations"

(Source: Global Sanctions and Export Controls Blog, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Tristan Grimmer (UK); Baker Mckenzie

On 8th July 2026, the UK enacted the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 (the new "Act"), introducing a new power for the Home Secretary to designate bodies involved in foreign power threat activity and creating criminal offences for supporting, assisting, or obtaining a material benefit from those bodies.
     The new regime is intended to address a perceived gap between sanctions, terrorism legislation and the existing National Security Act 2023 framework, by targeting organisations, proxies and networks used by foreign powers to carry out hostile activity against the UK or its interests.
     The new regime expands the compliance risks that businesses must consider when dealing with state-linked actors, particularly those that operate in higher risk jurisdictions that already face increased sanctions and counter-terrorism financing risks.
     Organisations will need to look beyond traditional sanctions screening and undertake robust due diligence to identify links to designated bodies, including through indirect ownership structures, intermediaries and proxy relationships. . . .
     Background and policy rationale. . . . [Full article]

20. Morgan Lewis: "US Employers Should Prepare Now for Increased Form I-9 Enforcement"

(Source: Morgan Lewis LawFlash, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Eric S. Bord, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Advance planning is increasingly important as the US administration considers expanding worksite enforcement and administrative inspections.
     Recent comments by White House Border Czar Tom Homan provide a significant indication that the administration is considering a substantial expansion of immigration worksite enforcement, including administrative Form I-9 inspections.
     In a July 2026 interview, Homan said worksite enforcement should be a major part of the administration's strategy, described a plan under development to process large volumes of Form I-9 inspections, and discussed referring apparent administrative and criminal violations to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
     He also emphasized employer accountability and described coordination with the US Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Social Security Administration.
     Homan's comments do not establish a new inspection procedure or constitute binding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidance, nor has the particular contractor-based model he discussed been publicly adopted as an ICE program. His remarks nevertheless warrant attention as they are consistent with ICE's current public description of Form I-9 inspections as a component of HSI's worksite-enforcement program and because the proposed model is expressly intended to increase inspection capacity. . . .

[Full article]

21. ST&R Trade Report: "Export Violations Yield Defense Trade Ban for 11 Entities"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

Effective Aug. 19 the Department of State has imposed statutory debarment under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations on one entity and 10 persons convicted of violating or conspiring to violate Section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act.
     As a result, those listed are prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in activities regulated by the ITAR, including any brokering activities and any export from or temporary import into the U.S. of defense articles, technical data, or defense services in all situations covered by the ITAR. State encourages all those engaged in activities subject to the ITAR to be vigilant in their compliance with all export control regulations and to ensure that their activities do not involve debarred persons. . . .
     The period for debarment is generally three years from the date of conviction. Export privileges may be reinstated only at the request of the debarred person, which may be submitted no earlier than one year after the date of debarment. [Full article]

22. Skill Dynamics Presents: "The Foundation Audit: Why Most Compliance Programs Are Built on Shaky Ground" Tuesday, 4 Aug Webinar

(Source: Skill Dynamics (previously Content Enablers))

23. List of Export/Import Job Openings

(Source: Editor)

25. Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations

(Source: Brainy Quotes)

Max Scherzer (Maxwell M. Scherzer; born July 27, 1984; is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB), currently pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays. Scherzer is an eight-time MLB All-Star, has won three Cy Young Awards, has pitched two no-hitters, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019. Known for his intensity on the field, he is nicknamed "Mad Max." Max Scherzer is pitching tonight on his 42nd birthday.)

- "Any time I've put extra work in, I see results."

Hilaire Belloc (Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc; 27 Jul 1870 – 16 Jul 1953; was an Anglo-French writer and historian and one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist.)

- "Any subject can be made interesting, and therefore any subject can be made boring."

- "The grace of God is courtesy."

Norm Augustine (Norman Ralph Augustine; born 27 Jul 1935 is a U.S. aerospace businessman who served as United States Under Secretary of the Army from 1975 to 1977. Augustine served as chairman and CEO of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. He was chairman of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee.)

- "Motivation will almost always beat mere talent."

- "People do not win people fights. Lawyers do."

- "Regulations grow at the same rate as weeds."

26. Today in History (Source: History Channel)

1949: On July 27, 1949, the world's first jet-propelled airliner, the British De Havilland Comet, made its first flight in England. The jet engine would ultimately revolutionize the airline industry, shrinking air travel time in half by enabling planes to climb faster and fly higher.

1953: Korean Armistice Agreement signed: Active fighting in the Korean War ended with the signing of the armistice at Panmunjom.

27. Do You Need to Update Your Daily Bugle Profile?

(Source: Editor)

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28. Are Your Copies of Export/Import Regulations Current?

(Source: Editor)

The official versions of the following regulations are published annually in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) but are updated as amended in the Federal Register. The latest amendments are listed below.