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Global Update 3/13/26 Tariff Update: On March 12, 2026, Brandon Lord, Executive Director of CBP's Trade Programs Directorate, filed a declaration with the U.S. Court of International Trade (Court No. 26-01259, Atmus Filtration, Inc. v. United States) responding to a March 6 court order and outlining CBP's planned system for processing IEEPA duty refunds. CBP is building a new system called CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) within ACE to process refunds of IEEPA additional ad valorem duties. The system consists of four components: a Claim Portal, Mass Processing, Review and Liquidation/Reliquidation, and a Refund module. As of March 11, 2026, development is actively underway but not yet complete. The Claim Portal is 70% complete, Mass Processing is 40% complete, Review and Liquidation is 80% complete, and the Refund module is 60% complete. When live, importers and brokers will submit refund requests through a new tab in their ACE Portal account by uploading a CSV of qualifying entry summaries. The system will validate submissions, strip IEEPA HTS Chapter 99 numbers, recalculate duties, and once entries reach their scheduled liquidation date, issue refunds electronically to a designated bank account. Liquidations will be processed Monday through Thursday each week. Phase 1 will not cover entries subject to antidumping or countervailing duties, entries with a liquidation status of Suspended, Extended, or Under Review, or certain entry types such as warehouse withdrawals and drawback-designated entries. CBP will issue detailed guidance as each phase launches. Importers should ensure their ACE account is set up to receive electronic refunds before the system goes live. If you wish to direct refunds to a third party, a CBP Form 4811 designee must be on file. If you have not already configured your banking information in ACE, do so now to avoid delays when refunds are processed. Separately, the current 10% universal tariff under Section 122 may increase to 15%, although we have still received no official confirmation of that increase. Meanwhile, 24 states have filed a lawsuit in the Court of International Trade challenging the legality of the 10% tariff, arguing that the conditions required to invoke Section 122 have not been met. The lawsuit was filed on March 5, 2026. Just as the IEEPA refunds offered a moment of relief, the tariff war reminded us we are not out of the woods yet. On March 12, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative launched Section 301 investigations into 60 of the largest U.S. trading partners, examining whether those countries have failed to ban and effectively enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor. The investigations will determine whether those failures constitute unreasonable or discriminatory practices that burden U.S. commerce and harm American workers and businesses. Several of the 60 countries under investigation are significant alcohol trading partners with the United States, including the European Union, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Türkiye, Brazil, Israel, and Hong Kong. The remaining countries under investigation are Algeria, Angola, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. USTR has requested consultations with each of the 60 governments and will hold public hearings on April 28, 2026. If the investigations find violations, the U.S. could impose tariffs or other trade penalties, with the scope and severity likely tailored to each country's specific conduct. A public comment period is open through April 15, 2026, and importers who source goods from the countries under investigation are strongly encouraged to submit written comments here, as industry input will play a critical role in shaping how the U.S. government assesses the impact of these investigations on American businesses. Disruptions in North Europe: Rotterdam continues to face normal congestion issues, please expect delays in the processing of all modes of transport. We will continue to monitor and advise if the congestion issues become more severe. In Belgium, a nationwide strike was held yesterday, organized by the country's main trade union federation in response to government austerity measures, caused mass disruptions to transportation services, public services, and maritime operations. Overall, operations are gradually normalizing today but facing “knock-on” effects from the work stoppage. The Port of Antwerp is fully operational today but still working through the backlog of vessels and freight that accumulated during the stoppage. The HHLA container terminal in the Port of Hamburg may have restricted operations due to two-cross locations staff meetings that will be held there on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. We will provide updates on any possible delays as soon as available. Ocean Carriers and Trucking/Intermodal companies react to Iran Conflict and fuel price uptick: Ocean carriers are rapidly responding to the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Carriers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, and many vessels are also stuck in the conflict area. Carriers in the region are imposing Emergency Conflict Surcharges and almost all carriers and trucking companies are implementing Emergency Fuel Surcharges due to the recent surge in fuel prices due to the war; fuel increases range from 5 – 10% for most lanes, with the average around 8%. The disruption caused by the conflict is creating a massive wave of rate increase and peak season surcharge notices on all global trade routes. We are monitoring all these announcements and working with our carrier partners closely to ensure compliance with FMC regulations as well as mitigation strategies. We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as they arise. Globally, domestic transportation providers across trucking, rail, and barge operations are facing significant fuel cost pressures. Notably, Standard IFO380 heavy bunker fuel recently hit a record high of $841.50 USD/ton, up from a previous peak of $760 USD/ton and well above the pre-conflict February average of $456 USD/ton. These rapid fuel price swings are driving up operating costs across the transportation sector, prompting domestic carriers to adjust their fuel surcharge programs accordingly. Partial Government Shutdown in USA Continues: The ongoing partial government shutdown continues in the US affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As negotiations continue, several DHS functions are operating with limited funding, affecting agencies such as TSA, FEMA, ICE, and CBP, with some employees working without pay and certain programs experiencing delays. We are continuing to monitor the shutdown and will continue to provide updates. Come See Us at Prowein 2026: Join us next week in Dusseldorft, Germany, for Prowein 2026! Alison Leavitt, Managing Director of WSSA will be presenting on the US Spirits Market: Tariffs, Politics & Growth Strategies from 12:30pm to 1:30pm on March 17, in the GoSpirits area, Hall 7, level 0/C5. This presentation will cover the current state of tariffs and trade in the USA and strategies to mitigate the impact of the volatile situation. WSSA and Albatrans will have personnel from multiple countries attending and look forward to meeting current and future customers. Stop by Hall 4, Booth 03 and find out how we can help with your logistics or risk management needs. Contact us to schedule a visit with a member of the WSSA or Albatrans teams! Save the Date for WSSA’s Annual California Event! Join WSSA for a business meeting and luncheon discussing the latest updates within the wine and spirits and logistics industries, followed by a happy hour harbor cruise showcasing the Port of Oakland. The event will take place May 8, 2026, with the business meeting at the Claremont Resort & Club from 12-3:30pm and the Harbor Cruise Tour from 4:30-7:30pm. RSVP to hrandolph@wssa.com to reserve your spot! LCL Services from France, Italy, and Spain/Portugal: Bi-monthly departures continue from each of these countries for your small shipments, offering a per case rate from point of pick up to the Alba Wine and Spirits warehouse in Edison New Jersey. Shipments from other European countries can be added into the mix, with pick-ups offered in most European countries. Please let us know if you need any further information! |
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WSSA 111 Commercial Street Portland, ME 04101 800.368.3167
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