Analysis, guidance, and insight for importers navigating the complexity of global trade.
A curated set of recent posts paired with monochrome trade imagery for current customs, tariff, and importer workflow topics.
The refund story is now less about headlines and more about execution. Courts have moved, CBP has warned about the scale of the work, and importers need cleaner entry data than most teams currently have.
Read ArticleACE data is often the fastest way to build a claim file. A disciplined export from your broker or ACE account can help teams confirm entry numbers, liquidation dates, duty amounts, and the source documents a refund workflow may require.
Read ArticleThe fastest way to slow down a claim is to hand off partial data. A broker-ready refund file should organize entry data, source documents, issue framing, and timeline tracking before anyone starts drafting.
Read ArticleEven after the Supreme Court killed IEEPA tariffs, the White House kept the global de minimis crackdown in place. That distinction matters for low-value imports, parcel programs, and postal shipments.
Read ArticleThe first U.S.-Mexico discussions for the 2026 USMCA joint review are scheduled for the week of March 16, 2026. That makes this a live sourcing and rules-of-origin issue now, not a second-half-of-the-year story.
Read ArticleStart with the main DutyClaims guide to IEEPA questions, next steps, and supporting downloads.
Start with the practical guides for IEEPA, broker workflows, and finance-team recovery questions.
Use the glossary to navigate liquidation, protests, ACE, entry summaries, and other recurring customs terms.
Understand where optional liquidity fits once the recovery workflow is organized.
Reporting, explainers, and operating guidance for import teams following tariff recovery, broker readiness, and customs workflow changes.
As of March 19, 2026, USTR is closing comments on a critical-minerals framework that contemplates price floors, tariffs, quotas, and partner-only trade rules. That is an early warning for importers in batteries, electronics, magnets, chemicals, and machinery.
Read ArticleOn February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The tariff story changed immediately, but the trade workflow for importers did not disappear.
Read ArticleOn March 12, 2026, USTR initiated 60 Section 301 investigations tied to foreign governments’ failure to ban goods made with forced labor. The immediate implication is not a same-day tariff bill. The implication is a much wider trade-enforcement funnel.
Read ArticleIf you run trade, finance, or sourcing for an importer, this is not the week for another broad tariff explainer deck. This is the week to tighten your operating file before the next deadlines and policy moves hit.
Read ArticleThe IEEPA tariff story did not end with the Supreme Court. It shifted into other trade authorities, especially a temporary Section 122 surcharge and a new wave of Section 301 investigations.
Read ArticleA CBP protest is one of the primary tools for challenging liquidation decisions, but the filing window is short. Here is how the 180-day deadline works and what claim teams should gather before the clock runs out.
Read ArticleImporters often group every recovery opportunity under the same label, but duty drawback and CBP protests solve different problems, run on different deadlines, and depend on different evidence.
Read ArticleDuty drawback is one of the most underutilized mechanisms in international trade. Learn how your business can recover up to 99% of customs duties paid on imported goods.
Read ArticleMisclassification of goods under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule is far more common than most importers realize — and the financial implications run in both directions.
Read ArticleFirst sale valuation allows importers to declare goods at the price paid at the first transaction in a multi-tier supply chain, potentially reducing dutiable value significantly.
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