26-0804: Tuesday's "Export/Import Daily Bugle"

1. Commerce/BIS Revises Tariff Rate on Patented UK Pharmaceuticals

(Source: 91 FR 49406, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

2. President Directs Enforcement of Defense Production Act on Recoverable Critical Minerals and Materials

(Source: 91 FR 50465, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

3. State Dept Imposes Nonproliferation Measures Against Foreign Persons, Including a Ban on U.S. Government Procurement

(Source: 91 FR 49481, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

4. Future Federal Register

(Source: Future Federal Register)

5. CBP Cargo Systems Messages

(Source: DHS/CBP/CSMS)

6. CBP Events in August 2026

(Source: OTR Webinars)

7. Commerce/BIS (Nothing new.)

(Source: Commerce/BIS)

8. DoD/DCSA Announcements: "Industry Transition to DISS for Initiate and Review (I/R) Functionality"

(Source: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, 4 Aug 2026)

     The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has released two new training videos on STEPP to prepare defense industry partners for the upcoming transition to the Defense Information Systems for Security (DISS) for Initiate and Review (I/R) functions.
     To ensure industry partners have the necessary training and support during this operational shift, these newly recorded resources are designed to fully familiarize your team with the new DISS I/R functionalities.
     For functions specific to Industry, these videos can be found here:

Reminder of Upcoming Important Dates:

9. Justice Dept: "South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Firearms from Florida to Haiti as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Initiative"

(Source: US Dept of Justice News, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

     Jean Robert Casimir, 53, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Lauderhill, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of U.S. export control law for his role in an extensive firearms trafficking operation through which he illegally exported at least 140 firearms to Haiti since 2020.
     According to court documents, from at least August 2020 through December 2024, Casimir illegally exported no less than 140 firearms from the United States to Haiti without having first obtained the required license from the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, located in the District of Columbia. . . .

10. OMB/OIRA DDTC Reviews: ITAR; USML Cat XX(a), Submersible Vessels and Related Articles

(Source: OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 3 Aug 2026)

11. State/DDTC (Nothing new.)

(Source: State/DDTC)

12. Treasury/OFAC Issues Amended Venezuela-related General License and FAQs

(Source: Treasury/OFAC, 4 Aug 2026)

     The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing Venezuela-related General License 5Y, "Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond on or After September 17, 2026."
     OFAC has also issued one amended Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Question, FAQ 595. For more information on this specific action, visit our Recent Actions page.

13. White House Executive Actions: (No items of interest.)

(Source: The White House)

14. Breaking Defense: "Europe Wants ITAR-Free Weapons. US Firms are Trying to Adjust"

(Source: Breaking Defense News, 4 Aug 2026)

     US firms seeking to tap into ballooning European defense budgets are finding a new roadblock emerging: a desire by European capitals to avoid US control of weapon sales.
     There have long been concerns about how American International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrict foreign governments' ability to sell or transfer domestically built weapons that contain components originating in the US.
     And that concern is becoming harder to ignore as skepticism surrounding US and European relations has led to a serious push on the continent to move away from buying weapons with US-controlled parts, according to a half-dozen people who talked to Breaking Defense.
     "I see that as a growing trend that needs to happen within the EU, as sort of, like, an edict that's come out," Honeywell Aerospace CEO Jim Currier told Breaking Defense during last month's Farnborough Airshow. European governments have "been very, very clear in terms of how they want to fund, where they want to fund, their desire to have a more sovereign exposure," Currier added. "That's going to be an ongoing trend going forward."
     Currier isn't alone in his view, with industry officials, analysts and lawyers also monitoring the changing market. . . . [Full article]

15. Expeditors News: "Mexico Extends Transition Period for Electronic Value Manifest"

(Source: Expeditors News, 3 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

     On July 31, 2026, Mexico's Tax Administration Service (SAT) published the release of the Third Preliminary Version of the Second Amendment to the 2026 Foreign Trade General Rules (RGCE), providing additional implementation time for the electronic value manifest.
     Under the new transitional provisions, importers may continue using the current compliance framework for the declaration of value through September 30, 2026, while certain supporting documentation requirements are postponed until December 31, 2026.
     For more information go HERE.

16. ST&R Trade Report: "President Authorizes Export Controls on Critical Minerals"

(Source: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]. Contact: [email protected], 1-305-894-1035

     President Trump recently signed a determination delegating to the Department of Commerce authority under the Defense Production Act to institute export restrictions on recoverable critical minerals and materials.
     According to a White House fact sheet, the determination (1) finds that CMMs are critical industrial resources necessary to promoting national defense, particularly with regard to military production, industrial applications, and national security, (2) finds that the U.S. relies heavily on imports of certain CMMs, and (3) grants the DOC the authority to institute export restrictions on CMMs.
     The determination defines "recoverable critical minerals and materials" to include black mass, end-of-life, rare-earth permanent magnets or other goods that have fully completed the manufacturing process; swarf; and other waste and scrap containing critical minerals and materials. This term does not include copper scrap.

17. Akin: "Foreign-Produced Power Inverters and Advanced Robotic Devices Added to FCC's Covered List and Designated as National Security Threats"

(Source: Akin Gump Insights, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Jennifer L. Richter, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

     On July 28th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) added two new categories of equipment to the Covered List of equipment and services deemed to pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. national security: certain foreign-produced power inverters and advanced robotic devices. Similar to the previous categorical additions of foreign-produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), UAS components and routers, the listings:

Unlike the previous categorical listings, the most recent listings employ a new definition of "foreign-produced" that incorporates the standard for a "domestic end product" under trade regulations.

18. Sheppard: "Time to Suit Up: The CIT Is Issuing Refund Orders for Older Entries - But Only for Plaintiffs on the Court's Docket"

(Source: Sheppard Global Trade Law Blog, 3 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Henry Chen, Sheppard LLP

     The U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) has taken a decisive step forward in the IEEPA duty refund process: CIT Judge Eaton has issued reliquidation orders in each of the approximately 4,000 IEEPA individual importer dockets.
     The principal takeaway is that only importers that have individual cases pending before the CIT will be authorized to apply for refunds of IEEPA tariffs paid on imports that have been "finally liquidated."
     For importers with entries more than 80 days past liquidation (which fall outside the current reach of the government's CAPE refund system), it is clear from the latest court order that the fastest path to recovery is filing an individual lawsuit before the CIT, if you have not done so already.
     For those importers with cases pending, plaintiffs' counsel have all received direction from the CIT on how to qualify their clients for this phase of the CAPE refunds. . . . [Full article]

19. Troutman: "DHS Adds 43 Companies to UFLPA Entity List in Largest-Ever Single Expansion — Effective August 3rd"

(Source: Troutman Pepper Locke, 3 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

* Author: Ryan Last, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

     Key Points

[Full article]

20. Tuttle Law: "CBP Announces Changes to Processing Post Summary Corrections"

(Source: Author, 3 Aug 2026)

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

     In CSMS # 69428352, published August 3, 2026, CBP announced changes to the procedures for processing Post Summary Corrections (PSCs). These modifications were announced in Federal Register Notice 91 FR 41053, "Modification and Clarification of the National Customs Automation Program Test Regarding Post Summary Corrections" issued July 6, 2026.
     Electronic Payment. Effective August 5, 2026, filers must electronically remit payment for increases in duties, taxes, and fees resulting from a PSC via Automated Clearinghouse (ACH). CBP will not accept checks or cash for any increase in duties, taxes or fees beginning August 5, 2026, resulting from a PSC.
     Filers should visit Automated Clearinghouse on CBP.gov or contact [email protected] to participate in either the ACH Debit or ACH Credit payment programs with CBP, or to obtain the specific information needed to submit a PSC payment to CBP.
     A summary of the steps for payment submission using the ACH Debit or ACH Credit payment programs can be found in CSMS #69428352. . . . Contact author for full article.

21. Volkov: "Should Compliance Programs Relax When DOJ Enforcement Slows Down?"

(Source: Volkov Law, 4 Aug 2026) [Excerpts]

* Principal Author: Michael Volkov, Volkov Law Group LLC

     When it comes to DOJ enforcement, the pendulum swings, and it always returns. Don't let it knock you off your feet. I've been watching the headlines, and so have you. Fewer corporate guilty pleas, non-prosecution agreements for Alibaba and Eagle Bank, charges dropped against Boeing and Halkbank from Turkey.
     The word from Main Justice is: hold individuals accountable, go easier on companies. I get why some executives are breathing a sigh of relief. But here's my message to every compliance officer out there: do not read this as permission to relax.
     Enforcement priorities are cyclical. Administrations change. Statutes of limitations run long. The conduct you tolerate today under a lenient DOJ can absolutely come back across your desk in the future, with a lookback period that reaches right back to right now.
     And let's not forget: non-prosecution agreements still require admissions, still require massive fines, and still require you to fix your program. They're not a free pass. That's a warning shot.
     Stay vigilant. Keep building your program like the next administration is already watching, because eventually it will be.

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

(Source: A.E. NicPhaidin)

23. List of Export/Import Job Openings

(Source: Editor)

25. Bartlett's Unfamiliar Quotations

(Source: Brainy Quotes)

* Oscar Ameringer (4 Aug 1870 – 5 Nov 1943; was a German-American Socialist editor, author, and organizer from the late 1890s until his death in 1943. His most famous work, The Life and Deeds of Uncle Sam, was a widely read satire of American history that sold over half a million copies. His wit as a speaker and writer led to him being described as the "Mark Twain of American Socialism".)

- "Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other."

* Percy Bysshe Shelley (4 Aug 1792 – 8 Jul 1822; was one of the major English Romantic poets, widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric and philosophical poets in the English language. Among his best known works are "Ozymandias", "Ode to the West Wind", "To a Skylark", and the political ballad "The Mask of Anarchy".)

- "Soul meets soul on lovers' lips."

- "Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon."

- "The more we study the more we discover our ignorance."

- "The soul's joy lies in doing."

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

(Source: Editor)

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27. 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.