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  3. CBP Trade News Snapshot
  4. Trade News Snapshot - Volume 5, Issue 10

Trade News Snapshot - Volume 5, Issue 10

Contents


I. Office of Trade Activity

CBP publishes updated forced labor resources

In December, CBP added several updates to its Forced Labor and UFLPA webpages to make the pages easier to navigate and provide valuable resources to stakeholders. The new additions included updates to several fact sheets on forced labor, frequently asked questions on UFLPA, best practices for applicability reviews, and more. CBP also published new graphics and links, as well as a new video describing forced labor, and plans to continue exploring multimedia tools to educate a variety of stakeholders on this important issue.


II. Outreach

DEAC Leonard discusses IPR enforcement and education efforts at public health symposium

DEAC John Leonard at the Johns Hopkins University Symposium on Public Health Strategies for Combating Counterfeit Drugs in Washington, D.C.

On December 1, Office of Trade Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) John Leonard represented CBP at the Johns Hopkins University Symposium on Public Health Strategies for Combating Counterfeit Drugs in Washington, D.C. DEAC Leonard participated in a panel titled “The Global Burden of Counterfeit Drugs,” along with Ms. Pernette Bourdillon-Esteve of the World Health Organization, Mr. Charlie Preston of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Dr. Henry Joseph Michtalik of Johns Hopkins University. During the panel, DEAC Leonard discussed CBP’s three-pronged strategy for protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) – educate, engage, and enforce. DEAC Leonard provided an overview of CBP’s IPR seizures and explained how the agency is addressing challenges posed by the growth of e-commerce and increased access to counterfeit pharmaceuticals. He also discussed the benefits of public-private partnerships – including CBP’s e-Recordation Program and the CBP-U.S. Chamber of Commerce Memorandum of Understanding – and emphasized the importance of consumer awareness efforts such as CBP’s Truth Behind Counterfeit Campaign.

Eric Choy travels to Thailand to meet government officials and industry groups

Eric Choy standing for a photo with other government officials and industry members in Thailand.

From December 12-16, Office of Trade Executive Director (XD) of Trade Remedy and Law Enforcement Eric Choy traveled to Thailand as part of a CBP team verifying a Thai manufacturer exporting to the United States. While in Thailand, XD Choy met with the Director General of Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade as well as Thai customs, industry groups, and U.S. Embassy officials to discuss forced labor issues and the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigative process. XD Choy also toured Laem Chabang Port and met with Container Security Initiative personnel.

Commerce and CBP bid farewell to Deputy Assistant Secretary Ian Saunders

Ian Saunders, EAC AnnMarie Highsmith and others stand for a photo at his farewell ceremony.

On December 18, the U.S. Department of Commerce hosted a farewell ceremony for Deputy Assistant Secretary Ian Saunders, who will begin his first five-year term as Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium on January 1, 2024. EAC Highsmith joined Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves, Under Secretary Marisa Lago, and Assistant Secretary Arun Venkataraman in delivering remarks before a crowd of more than 100 U.S. Government officials and external stakeholders. Mr. Saunders was elected to head the WCO in June 2023 following a storied three-decade career with the federal government, including 20 years at CBP. The CBP Office of Trade wishes Mr. Saunders every success as he leads the sole multilateral organization dedicated to the development and implementation of international customs standards, tools, and instruments.

 


III. News You Can Use

 


Trade Statistics

Monthly Trade Statistics

In November 2023, CBP processed more than 2.7 million entry summaries valued at more than $268 billion, identifying estimated duties of nearly $6 billion to be collected by the U.S. government. Trade via the ocean environment accounted for more than 38 percent of the total import value, followed by air, truck, and rail. CBP stopped 331 entries valued at more than $125 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.

Last Modified: Jan 29, 2025