26-0731: Friday'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 August 2026

(Source: OTR Webinars)

5. Commerce/BIS (Nothing new.)

(Source: Commerce/BIS)

6. State/DDTC (Nothing new.)

(Source: State/DDTC)

7. White House: President Delegates DPA Authority re Recoverable Critical Minerals and Materials

(Source: The White House, 30 Jul 2026)

President Trump signed a Presidential Determination delegating authority under the Defense Production Act to institute export restrictions on recoverable critical minerals and materials (CMMs).

[Full article]

8. Diaz: "What Happened in July in International Trade"

(Source: Customs & International Trade Law Blog, 3 Apr 2026) [Excerpts]

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

Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade law news:

Administration:

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Courts

Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

9. Expeditors News: "Routings Increasing Across Ocean Carrier Networks"

(Source: Expeditors News, 30 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

Ocean carriers continue to adjust their network strategies, and an increasing number of services are now transiting the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
     While many services continue to route around the Cape of Good Hope, customers should expect a growing share of vessel capacity to return to Red Sea routings over time. The pace and extent of this transition will vary by carrier, trade lane, vessel deployment strategy, insurance requirements, and individual risk assessments.
     The increase in Red Sea transits may help reduce voyage times on affected trade lanes. However, carrier routing decisions remain subject to operational and geopolitical considerations and may change with limited notice. . . . [Full article]

10. ST&R Trade Report: "Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs Challenged in New Lawsuits"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 31 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

A new class-action lawsuit in the Court of International Trade is seeking an invalidation of the Trump administration's Section 301 tariffs of 10-12.5 percent on imports from 86 countries.
     A similar (but not class-action) suit has been filed by some of the same companies that won a case challenging the administration's IEEPA tariffs.
     The class-action complaint argues that the new tariffs exceed the authority Congress granted in Section 301, which "is a targeted, country-specific and practice-specific remedial authority." Section 301 permits the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to "act only upon a determination that a particular act, policy, or practice of a foreign country is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts United States commerce," the complaint states, and "any responsive action must be directed to that act, policy, or practice."
     The complaint asserts that any determination to the contrary -- i.e., that Section 301 authorizes "duties of this scope across substantially all imports from substantially all trading partners, at rates selected in advance and without a sufficient connection to the statutory determination and remedial purpose" -- would constitute an unconstitutional delegation of Congress' tariff power under Article I of the Constitution.
     The complaint further alleges . . .
     On this point the complaint points out that . . .
     [Full article]

11. ST&R Trade Report: "Imports of Foreign-Made Power Inverters, Autonomous Robots Banned by FCC"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 31 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice that, effective July 28, prohibits imports of new foreign-made connected power inverters and advanced robotic devices, which have been added to the FCC's Covered List.
     The Covered List comprises equipment and services that have been determined to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the security and safety of U.S. persons. Equipment on this list is banned from receiving new FCC equipment authorizations, which are required prior to importation, marketing, or sale in the U.S.
     Power inverters being added to this list are defined as bi-directional power devices or systems that (1) convert DC electricity to AC electricity or vice versa (including microinverters, string inverters, central inverters, and hybrid (battery-based) inverters) and (2) contain components that enable remote communication, control, sensing, data collection, or monitoring through Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, or similar connections.
     Advanced robotic devices being added to this list are defined as ...
     The following are not included in this definition: . . .
     The FCC states that the new prohibition does not apply to: . . .
     [Full article]

12. US News: "Trump Orders Restrictions on Export of Critical Minerals Scrap, White House Officials Say"

(Source: US News & World Report; 31 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an order giving federal officials the power to block exports of old batteries and other electronic waste filled with critical minerals, part of a broader push to boost domestic recycling and counter China's grip on materials vital to national security, according to two White House officials familiar with the matter.
     The presidential determination allows the Commerce Department to issue rules that would prevent so-called "e-waste" from being sent overseas, a practice that is common. . . .
     The U.S. exports nearly 33,000 metric tons per month of e-waste, much of it filled with lithium and other critical minerals that can be recycled, according to data from the environmental group Basel Action Network. . . . [Full article]

13. Wired: "Aircraft Manufacturer Breached UK Export Controls"

(Source: Wired.Gov, 31 Jul 2026)

Airbus Operations Limited (AOL) has paid more than £6.4 million to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after admitting multiple breaches of Strategic Export Controls. The payment represents the highest compound settlement ever reached by HMRC for strategic export offences.
     AOL announced the breach in its quarterly earnings notes and details have been published on GOV.UK. The company failed to keep records of any tangible or intangible export or transfer of controlled technology over a sustained period. AOL self-reported the breaches to HMRC and fully cooperated with the investigation. . . .

The breaches made by AOL included:

Further information: . . . [Full article]

14. Holland & Hart: "New FCC Restrictions on Foreign Power Inverters"

(Source: Holland & Hart Insights, 31 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: David Glynn, Holland & Hart LLP

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its Covered List under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act to include foreign-produced power inverters.
     This action, which followed a National Security Determination by an Executive Branch interagency body, carries significant supply chain implications for the U.S. solar, wind, and battery storage sectors. Importantly, the restriction is prospective only and does not affect inverters already imported, approved, installed, or in use.
     Below, we summarize the key aspects of this development and what it may mean for your projects:
     Background. The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued Public Notice DA 26-786, adding "foreign-produced power inverters" to the Covered List, effective immediately for new equipment authorization applications. The interagency determination cited supply chain vulnerabilities and the risk that inverters' remote connectivity features could be exploited by foreign actors to disrupt grid operations, exfiltrate data, or conduct surveillance. . . .
     What This Means for Projects. The most critical point for existing projects and procurement arrangements is that this action is entirely prospective. The FCC has expressly stated that the rule: . . .
     [Full article]

15. Sidley Austin: "New Requirement for Pharma Imports"

(Source: Author) [Excerpts]

* Author: Ted Murphy, Esq., [email protected]; Sidley & Austin LLP

Those of you in the pharmaceutical industry know that the additional tariffs President Trump imposed on pharmaceuticals under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act go into effect for certain companies (i.e., those listed in Annex III to the April 2, 2026 proclamation) tomorrow, July 31, 2026. For other companies, the additional tariffs do not go into effect until September 29, 2026.
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its guidance on how these additional tariffs will be implemented this afternoon. A copy is attached for your reference. The most interesting part of the guidance is a new requirement that all importers of articles covered by the proclamation must start declaring the applicable Chapter 99 classification as of July 31st.
     Regardless of company, effective July 31, 2026, all importers of goods classified under the subject Chapter 29 and 30 HTSUS classifications are required to report an applicable Chapter 99 HTSUS classification below. . . .
     So, even if tariffs are not payable until September 29, 2026, if you are importing covered articles, you must start declaring the appropriate Chapter 99 classification beginning tomorrow. We expect that this will come as a surprise to many companies. . . . We are living in a state of heightened tariff volatility.

16. Volkov: "Where Your CCO Reports Tells Me Everything: The Quiet Backslide in Compliance Reporting"

(Source: Volkov Law, 29 Jul 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Michael Volkov, Volkov Law Group LLC

In this podcast, Michael Volkov examines a troubling backslide in corporate governance: the quiet movement of chief compliance officers back under the general counsel after years of progress toward direct CEO reporting lines. Michael explains why the CCO's reporting structure is the single clearest signal a company sends about the value it places on compliance — shaping whether compliance influences business strategy at the design stage or is reduced to an after-the-fact cleanup function. He makes the case for a direct CCO reporting line to the CEO paired with a formal dotted line to the audit committee, including guaranteed executive sessions and unrestricted escalation authority, and warns that subordinating compliance to legal fosters a "mere compliance" mindset — meeting minimum legal requirements rather than building an ethical culture that drives employee retention, customer trust, and long-term business success.
     Michael closes with concrete action items for boards and compliance leaders, reminding listeners that regulators scrutinize CCO empowerment and that demoting compliance to save a line item is like canceling insurance to improve quarterly cash flow.
     Listen to this podcast HERE.

17. Partnering for Compliance™ Presents: "Firearms: Exporting & Importing" 16 Sep 2026

(Source: A.E. NicPhaidin)

18. List of Export/Import Job Openings

(Source: Editor)

20. Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations

(Source: Brainy Quotes)

* Maria Montessori (Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori; 31 Aug 1870 – 6 May 1952; was an Italian physician and educator best known for her philosophy of education (the Montessori method) and her writing on scientific pedagogy. Her educational method is in use globally in many public and private schools.)

- "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."

- "The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'"

* Milton Friedman (31 Jul 1912 – 16 Nov 2006; was an American economist who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy.)

- "Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government."

- "Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."

- "Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned."

* J. K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling; born 31 July 1965; is a British author and philanthropist. She is the author of Harry Potter, a seven-volume fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has sold over 600 million copies, been translated into 84 languages, and spawned a global media franchise including films and video games.)

- "If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

- "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default."

- "Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike."

21. Friday Funnies

(Source: Editor)

If you didn't pay attention in high school English class, this won't make much sense!

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

(Source: Editor)

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23. 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.