26-0728: Tuesday's "Export/Import Daily Bugle"

1. President Directs Action Against 60 Countries That Failed to Ban Imports Made with Forced Labor

(Source: 91 FR 47717, 28 Jul 2026)

2. Future Federal Register

(Source: Future Federal Register)

State Department; Notices; Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Annual Brokering Report. Scheduled Pub. Date: 07/29/2026. Permalink

3. CBP Cargo Systems Messages

(Source: DHS/CBP/CSMS)

4. CBP Events in August 2026

(Source: OTR Webinars)

5. Commerce/BIS (Nothing new.)

(Source: Commerce/BIS)

6. State/DDTC (Nothing new.)

(Source: State/DDTC)

7. Treasury/OFAC Updates SDN and Blocked Persons List, Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List, and Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council List

(Source: Treasury/OFAC, 27 Jul 2026)

OFAC has updated the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List, and the Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council List. Visit this page to access the latest version of the SDN list and the Consolidated List (which includes the SSI and NS-PLC lists). Visit this link for more information.

8. UK Export Control: "Compound Settlement for Breaches of Export Control"

(Source: UK ECJU, 28 Jul 2026)

Notice to exporters 2026/16. In June 2026, two UK exporters paid compound settlement offers of £216,530.30 and £20,889.15 to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The settlements relate to unlicensed exports of military-listed goods and related activity prohibited by The Export Control Order 2008 and contrary to The Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
     Export control legislation is enforced by HMRC, working with the appropriate Prosecuting Authority. Where appropriate, HMRC can use its powers to offer a compound settlement in lieu of prosecution.

Compound settlements may be offered where an exporter has:

HMRC will not normally offer a compound settlement where an exporter intended to breach the controls.

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

(Source: The White House)

10. Breaking Defense: "Oracle Inks $7 Billion Deal to Consolidate Pentagon Software Purchases"

(Source: Breaking Defense News, 27 Jul 2026)

Oracle has scored a $7 billion agreement to consolidate what the Pentagon called its "fragmented, one-off information technology purchases" from the firm into a single, unified contract, the department announced Thursday.
     The Enterprise Software Agreement (ESA), which was negotiated by the Department of the Navy, is projected to save about half-a-billion dollars over its lifecycle, according to the announcement.
     While Department of Defense entities have been separately purchasing Oracle software for years, this new award will create one giant contract for the entire organization, improving visibility of enterprise usage and spending as a means of optimizing technology budgets, according to the announcement. . . .
     The move follows similar efforts within the department to consolidate licenses and agreements for better oversight and budgeting, including most recently the $9.7 billion May award to Dell to consolidate Microsoft 365 licenses into a single contract vehicle. . . . [Full article]

11. Expeditors News: "NCSD Announces August 2026 Webinars"

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

In an update to the trade published on July 14, 2026, the Office of Trade's National Commodity Specialist Division (NCSD) announced their scheduled webinars for August 2026.

The following NCSD webinars are scheduled and will be held at 1:30 p.m. eastern time on their respective dates:

You can register for these upcoming webinars and view past recordings HERE.

12. FedEx News: "Regulatory Alert: US Imposes Section 301 Tariffs on Imports from 60 Economies"

(Source: FedEx Regulatory News, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

The United States imposed additional tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imported products of 60 economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which became effective on July 24, 2026. The new Section 301 tariffs became effective on the same date that the temporary Section 122 balance-of-payments tariffs expired.
     These Section 301 duties apply broadly based upon a product's country of origin with specific exemptions for certain goods.
     What is changing? On July 23, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced this Section 301 tariff action to enact additional duties on a wide range of global imports. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) subsequently issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) #69326983 to provide implementation instructions, which included the applicable Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) numbers and available exemptions.
     Under the new rules, affected goods will be subject to an additional 10% or 12.5% duty rate depending on their country of origin. For certain origin countries, the tariff rate is applied net of the product's existing most-favored-nation (MFN) duty rate.
     These Section 301 duties apply to products of the specified countries entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern time on July 24, 2026.
     Impacted economies and tariff rates: . . . [Full article]

13. ST&R Trade Report: "Legislative Update: Tariffs, Imports, Exports"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 28 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

Tariffs. The Congressional Trade Powers Reform Act (S. 5081, introduced July 22), would (1) require congressional approval for Section 301, 232, and 201 tariffs proposed by the president, (2) eliminate tariff authority under sections 122 and 338, (3) establish a bicameral Joint Committee on Tariffs and Trade to support Congress's oversight over tariffs and trade, (4) create the positions of chief congressional trade representative for negotiations and chief congressional trade representative for monitoring and enforcement to facilitate the JCTT's oversight, (5) clarify that binding trade agreements require congressional approval, and (6) moving USTR outside of the Executive Office of the President and installing an inspector general.
     The Stop EU Overreach Act (H.R. 9892, introduced July 23) would require USTR to initiate a Section 301 investigation into the European Union's extraterritorial sustainability regulatory regime. . . .
     Imports. The House of Representatives approved July 20 the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act (H.R. 2715), which authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to order the destruction, without the opportunity for export, of any food, drug, medical device, tobacco product, or cosmetic that is refused admission to the U.S. if it presents a significant public health concern.
     S. 5043 (introduced July 21) would direct the FDA to prevent the importation of counterfeit, unapproved, misbranded, or adulterated drugs from China or other foreign countries and would establish enhanced safeguards for imported drug products.
     The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee amended and favorably reported July 22 the Connected Vehicle Security Act (S. 4429), which would (1) prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale, resale, or introduction into interstate commerce of connected vehicles and related software and hardware associated with China or other foreign adversaries, including joint ventures or entities under their control, (2) empower the Department of Commerce to identify and block high-risk vehicle technologies, components, and transactions that threaten U.S. economic or national security, (3) establish enforcement mechanisms to ensure prohibited technologies are kept out of the U.S. market, and (4) phase in implementation, with vehicle and software restrictions taking effect in 2027 and hardware restrictions in 2030.
     Exports. The Values in Arms Export Act (S. 5082, introduced July 22) would amend the Arms Export Control Act to provide for better monitoring and verification of the use of defense articles and defense services by countries of concern. Among other things the bill provides for a ten-year ban on arms sales to countries of concern that meet certain criteria.

14. Wall Street Journal: "Companies Trading Away Tariff Refund Rights"

(Source: WSJ.com, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts of subscription service.]

Faced with prolonged tariff uncertainty, Academy Sports & Outdoors chose to cash in. The sporting goods chain last year sold its rights to tariff refunds, joining companies including the Children's Place and GoPro in trading away potential payouts for immediate cash, to manage debt or for other capital planning.
     Some offloaded their claims before the Supreme Court struck down global tariffs this year to escape the limbo of when or if any money would arrive. Others benefited from holding out: Price tags on certain refund claims have more than quadrupled since the ruling.
     Now, as some payouts remain uncertain, a fresh wave of businesses is considering transferring their rights.
     Interest in the deals surged after the court's ruling, with investment firms snapping up the claims on the gamble that they would ultimately recoup the investment, and then slowed as companies waited to see how efficient the payout process would be.
     But with refunds rolling out in phases, some businesses in need of cash are growing impatient, said Neil Seiden, managing director at business loan advisory firm Asset Enhancement Solutions.
     "What we're seeing now is an increase in folks looking to sell the claims," he said, noting that inquiries have jumped at least 50% since early June.
     Academy sold some of its refund rights early, before the high court's ruling. "In 2025, we made the decision to take risk off the table by monetizing potential refunds on [certain] tariffs should they materialize," Finance Chief Carl Ford said. "I think of it as a hedging strategy." . . . [Full article]

15. Diaz: "Section 301 Tariffs Are Now in Effect: Importers Should Act Now"

(Source: Customs & International Trade Law Blog, 28 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

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

Beginning Friday, July 24, 2026, Section 301 Forced Labor tariffs have been applied to most importations into the United States. See CSMS # 69326983. Unlike the previous Section 122 tariff, which imposed a universal 10% duty on all non-exempted goods, the Section 301 Forced Labor tariff imposes a 10% or 12.5% additional, depending on the country of origin. See USTR Notice of Actions.
     We believe there are opportunities to challenge the underlying Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs on a variety of theories.
     (1) the Section 301 tariff is a targeted, country or practice-specific remedy. Imposing a Section 301 tariff on 59 countries at the same time may exceed the law's scope.
     (2) Second, there appears to be a weak nexus between imposing tariffs and enforcing forced labor in foreign jurisdictions.
     (3) Third, the USTR arguably failed to provide a sufficient and reasonable explanation of how tariffs could achieve the policy agenda of restricting forced-labor goods from entering the U.S. Lastly, the Constitution has vested the tariff power in Congress under Article I. Such widespread tariffs issued by the President alone, without Congressional approval, may exceed Constitutional limitations.
     To challenge the newly imposed Section 301 tariffs on Forced Labor, we strongly recommend that importers file their own lawsuits in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

16. Outdoor Wire: "SCI Applauds Commerce and State Department Rules Reducing Burdens for Hunters Traveling Abroad with Suppressors"

(Source: The Outdoor Wire, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

Safari Club International (SCI) welcomes companion interim final rules from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security and the Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which modernize export regulations and reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding hunters, sportsmen, and firearm owners traveling internationally.
     The rules, which do not go into effect until November 20, 2026, transfer jurisdiction over certain suppressors from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to Commerce's Export Administration Regulations and expand eligibility for export license exceptions applicable to temporary travel and lawful sporting activities.
     Under the rules, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may temporarily take eligible suppressors abroad for legitimate hunting, sporting, scientific, and personal protection purposes without navigating the more burdensome licensing requirements previously associated with ITAR-controlled exports. Commerce will regulate suppressors as "parts" of the firearms they accompany, and U.S. hunters will travel with suppressors under the same exception as those firearms. . . . [Full article]

17. Snell & Wilmer: "Game Over? What Nintendo's Motion to Dismiss Means for Importers Facing Class Actions for Tariff Refunds"

(Source: Snell & Wilmer advisory, 27 July 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal author: Brett W. Johnson, Snell & Wilmer, LLP

On July 20, 2026, Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo) moved to dismiss a proposed consumer class action filed in federal district court seeking restitution of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff surcharges on popular Nintendo products.
     The plaintiffs — a putative class of consumers who purchased Nintendo products while Nintendo's IEEPA tariff-related price increases were in effect — allege that Nintendo passed its tariff costs on to consumers and would thereby obtain a double recovery: once from consumers and again from the federal government following resolution of its lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
     The complaint asserts claims for unjust enrichment, money had and received, violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (WCPA), and declaratory relief.
     This consumer class action is just one of many against companies and importers that are alleged to have passed along tariff costs to customers (end-use consumers and other businesses), and its resolution could have far-reaching downstream effects on other consumer class-action lawsuits. . . . [Full article]

18. Tuttle Law: "Importers Challenge New Forced-Labor Section 301 Tariffs"

(Source: Tuttle Law, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Author: George Tuttle, Law Offices Of George R. Tuttle, PC

On July 24, 2026, Burlap and Barrel, Inc. and Collective Horology LLC filed a proposed class action under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i) in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging the new Section 301 tariffs imposed on merchandise from 60 economies. [See related Item #1 above.] The tariffs ranging from 10 to 12.5% took effect on July 24, 2026.
     The action applies to economies accounting for approximately 99.4% of U.S. imports and is based on USTR's findings that those economies failed to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on imports produced with forced labor.
     The complaint alleges that USTR exceeded its authority under Section 301 because the statute authorizes targeted action against specific foreign acts, policies, or practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce. . . . [Full article]

19. Volkov: "The Quiet Backslide: When Compliance Retreats into the Legal Department"

(Source: Volkov Law, 27 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Michael Volkov, Volkov Law Group LLC

In my last post, I made the affirmative case for CCO empowerment — a direct reporting line to the CEO and a dotted line to the audit committee. Today I want to address the disturbing counter-trend: companies moving compliance back under the general counsel, often justified as cost discipline or organizational simplification. Make no mistake about what this movement represents. It is a retreat from compliance as a business value to compliance as a legal chore — and companies will pay for it.
     Two Different Jobs, Two Different Mindsets. Let me be clear at the outset: I have deep respect for general counsels, and the legal and compliance functions must work hand in glove. But they are fundamentally different jobs. The general counsel's mandate is to advise the company on what the law permits and to defend the company when challenged. It is, by nature and by professional obligation, an advocacy role oriented around legal risk and minimum legal requirements.
     The CCO's mandate is broader and different in kind: to build an ethical culture, to prevent and detect misconduct, to embed integrity into how the business actually operates. A great compliance program does not ask "is this legal?" It asks "is this right, is this consistent with our values, and is this sustainable?" Those are questions about culture and long-term business health — not questions that fit naturally inside a legal-advice framework.
     When compliance reports to legal, the legal mindset wins. Compliance priorities get filtered through litigation exposure and legal risk. The program drifts toward doing what the law minimally requires — mere compliance — rather than setting higher standards that build trust with customers, employees, business partners, and regulators.
     The Economic Excuse Doesn't Hold Up: . . .
     What Gets Lost in the Demotion: Consider what disappears when compliance retreats into legal. . . .
     Compliance Action Items: . . . [Full article]

20. Export Compliance Solutions Presents: "9th Annual ITAR/EAR Symposium" Seminar, 15-16 Sep 2026 in Annapolis

(Source: Marie Nicolo)

* What: "9th Annual ITAR/EAR Symposium" Seminar

* When: Tuesday & Wednesday, 15-16 September 2026, breakfast & lunch included.

* Where: Annapolis, MD

* Sponsor: Export Compliance Solutions & Consulting

* Presenters: Suzanne Palmer, Lisa Bencivenga, David Rosenburg, John Pisa-Relli, and Dave Greenlees.

* Summary: Interactive 2-day seminar including key compliance nuances and challenges for exporters. Including: "Models for Compliance Programs", "What is Causing all the RWAs", "The Government's View on How to Handle VDs from a former Senior Compliance Specialist", The Goals of OEE Investigations from a former Special Agent", "Don't Forget OFAC", and "How to Use AUKUS Effectively". For both novices and seasoned professionals.

* Register: HERE or email Marie Nicolo for more information.

21. List of Export/Import Job Openings

(Source: Editor)

23. Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations

(Source: Brainy Quotes)

* John Gresham Machen (28 Jul 1881 – 1 Jan 1937) was an American Presbyterian New Testament scholar and educator in the early 20th century.

- "I can't die now. I have so much work to do."

* Karl Popper (Sir Karl Raimund Popper; 28 Jul 1902 – 17 Sep 1994; was an Austrian-born British philosopher, academic and social commentator.)

- "No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude."

- "Those who promise us paradise on earth never produced anything but a hell."

* Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 Jul 1844 – 8 Jun 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. By 1930 Hopkins's work was seen as one of the most original literary advances of his century.

- "By the by, if the English race had done nothing else, yet if they left the world the notion of a gentleman, they would have done a great service to mankind."

* Jacqueline Kennedy (Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis; 28 Jul 1929 – 19 May 1994) served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. She was regarded as an international icon for her unique fashion choices, and her work as a cultural ambassador of the United States made her very popular globally.

- "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."

- "There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

- "I think the best thing I can do is to be a distraction. A husband lives and breathes his work all day long. If he comes home to more table thumping, how can the poor man ever relax?"

24. Today in History (Source: History Channel)

1868: 14th Amendment adopted. On July 28, 1868, following its ratification by the U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including formerly enslaved people—was adopted into the U.S. Constitution.

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

(Source: Editor)

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26. 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.