Every change that moves a number, dated and sourced.

US opens cardboard-box dumping and subsidy investigations #

Commerce opened antidumping investigations of covered corrugated die-cut cardboard boxes from China, Malaysia and Türkiye, plus a Turkish subsidy investigation, effective October 19, 2026. Scope comments are due November 9, 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time; the notices impose no duties.

Coverage: Export country CN · MY · TR → Import country US · HS 4819

• Official source: Federal Register — Corrugated die-cut cardboard box AD investigation initiations, A-570-242, A-557-838 and A-489-860
• Official source: Federal Register — Turkish corrugated die-cut cardboard box CVD investigation initiation, C-489-861

US continues Chinese small-engine duty orders #

U.S. antidumping and countervailing orders on covered Chinese vertical-shaft engines of 99cc to under 225cc continue from October 20, 2026.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 84

• Official source: Federal Register — Chinese small vertical shaft engines AD/CVD continuation, A-570-124 and C-570-125

CBP extends formal-entry compliance deadline for specified international mail #

CBP's October 22, 2026 rule moves the formal-entry compliance deadline under 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v) and (vi) from October 22, 2026 to January 20, 2027. It covers international mail subject to partner-agency requirements or Chapter 98/99 duties, and mail claiming Chapter 98 or free-trade-agreement duty-free treatment. The suspension of the mail de minimis exemption remains in place.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: Federal Register — Postal formal-entry delayed compliance extension, 2026-21600

CBP temporarily accepts incomplete electronic agency data in the Entry Type 13 mail test #

From October 22, 2026, CBP temporarily accepts Entry Type 13 filings without complete electronic partner-government-agency data for eligible international mail valued at $2,500 or less. Applicable Chapter 98/99 and free-trade-agreement data must still be transmitted. CBP will announce the end of this temporary acceptance in a future Federal Register notice.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: Federal Register — Modification of the electronic informal mail-entry test, 2026-21570

CBP updates ACE filing guidance for five China Section 301 exclusions #

CBP's October 22, 2026 bulletin updates filing instructions for five China Section 301 product exclusions in HTS chapters 39 and 84, reflecting statistical-code changes effective July 1. ACE acceptance of the additional conforming amendment starts at 6 p.m. on October 23, 2026. Eligible importers may seek removal of previously paid Section 301 duties through timely post-summary corrections or protests.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 39 · 84

• Official source: CBP CSMS 70261629 — Updated guidance: Section 301 China conforming amendment

US opens inquiry into UK-assembled diamond sawblades with Chinese components #

Commerce opened an inquiry on October 19, 2026 into whether Dymatec sawblades assembled in the UK with Chinese cores and/or segments fall under the China diamond-sawblade antidumping order. Initial comments and factual information may be filed within 30 days of publication, with rebuttals within 14 days of their filing. Commerce directs CBP to continue existing liquidation suspensions on inquiry merchandise and apply the deposit rate applicable if it is covered by the order.

Coverage: Export country GB · CN → Import country US · HS 68 · 82

• Official source: Federal Register — Diamond sawblades covered-merchandise inquiry, A-570-900, EAPA 8225

US waives Graham Act duties on Russia and countries covered by secondary tariffs #

The October 16, 2026 executive order implementing the Graham Act waives all duties under sections 112 and 113 of the Act and the order itself. This includes the stated 500% increase on Russian goods and 100% increases for specified countries linked to Russian energy purchases or sanctions evasion. The waiver remains in effect until the President or Secretary of State determines further action is appropriate under section 4(d).

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: White House — Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sections 2 and 4

US sets 8.89% wood-moulding countervailing deposits for China Cornici and RaoPing after court review #

Commerce's October 15, 2026 notice amends the 2020–2021 Chinese wood-moulding and millwork countervailing duty review following the September 23 court judgment. Applicable October 3, it assigns China Cornici and RaoPing HongRong Handicrafts cash deposit rates of 8.89% each, pending any appeals. Commerce cannot reliquidate the already-liquidated review-period entries at issue.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 44

• Official source: Federal Register — Court-related amended wood mouldings CVD review results, C-570-118

US court-related notice assigns China Cornici a 220.87% wood-moulding dumping deposit rate #

Commerce's October 15, 2026 notice, applicable October 5, amends the 2020–2022 review of Chinese wood mouldings and millwork products following a September 23 court judgment, assigning China Cornici the China-wide 220.87% cash-deposit rate. Commerce will revise deposit instructions for that company but will not issue revised instructions for Chen Chiu. If the judgment becomes final and conclusive, Commerce will not order assessment of duties on China Cornici's already-liquidated entries for that review period.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 44

• Official source: Federal Register — October 15, 2026, pages 65522–65523, notice 2026-21045 (A-570-117)

US seeks comments on proposed 51.82%–70.21% dumping margins for Chinese xanthan gum #

Commerce's October 14, 2026 preliminary review results propose dumping margins of 70.21% for Deosen Biochemical (Ordos), 51.82% for the Fufeng entity and 56.20% for Jianlong Biotechnology on Chinese xanthan gum for July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Case briefs are due within 21 days of publication and rebuttals within five days after that deadline. Revised cash-deposit rates would apply only upon publication of final review results.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 39

• Official source: Federal Register — Chinese xanthan gum AD preliminary review results, A-570-985

US continues antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese boltless steel shelving #

Commerce published continuation of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale on October 14, 2026, with effect from September 29, 2026. Covered goods include add-on kits and units with or without decks. CBP will continue collecting cash deposits at the rates in effect at entry.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS 94

• Official source: Federal Register — Chinese boltless steel shelving AD/CVD continuation, A-570-018 and C-570-019

Correction · §122 / §301 · 2026-10-08 #

Verified 2026-10-08: §122 was 10% and expired 2026-07-24. Forced-labor §301 took effect 2026-07-24 at 10%–12.5%, with product exemptions and country-specific combined-rate rules.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: CBP CSMS 67844987
• Official source: CBP CSMS 69326983

Pending review · §122 / §301 · 2026-10-08 #

Verified 2026-10-08: §122 was 10% and expired 2026-07-24. Forced-labor §301 took effect 2026-07-24 at 10%–12.5%, with product exemptions and country-specific combined-rate rules.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: CBP CSMS 67844987
• Official source: CBP CSMS 69326983

USTR comment window on US-China 'Board of Trade' design and $30 billion tariff-relief scope closes July 10; rebuttals run through July 27 #

July 10, 2026 was the USTR deadline for public comments on the design of the US-China 'Board of Trade' mechanism and on the scope of up to $30 billion of tariff relief for 'non-sensitive' Chinese imports; rebuttal comments run through July 27 under the docket opened in June. On the agricultural track, Bloomberg reported July 2 — with subsequent July 8 trade-press reporting — that the two sides agreed in principle for the US to end its 10% fentanyl-related tariff and for China to reciprocally drop its 10% retaliatory tariff on US agricultural goods including soybeans and grains, targeting roughly October 1, 2026. As of July 15, however, no announcement from China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has formalized the reduction. China's stated purchase commitments are at least 25 million tons of soybeans per year through 2028 and at least $17 billion per year of US agricultural products; actual new-season bookings so far total only about 200,000 tons. For context, GACC June data released July 14 showed China's exports up 27% year on year — the fastest pace since October 2021 — with shipments to the US up 14%.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: USTR — Public comment on Board of Trade mechanism and tariff relief scope
• Source: Skadden — A Rare Opportunity: commenting on the Board of Trade
• Source: Bloomberg — China and US target tariff reductions on agricultural products
• Source: CNBC — China June trade data

China imposes an immediate temporary export ban on helium via MOFCOM-GACC Announcement No. 29, effective July 10, 2026, covering all destinations #

China imposed a temporary export prohibition on helium (customs code 2804.29.0010), effective immediately, through MOFCOM-GACC Joint Announcement No. 29 of 2026, issued July 10. The ban covers all destinations, states no end date and provides no exemptions. Its legal basis is the Foreign Trade Law rather than the Export Control Law, and the stated rationale is protecting domestic supply as renewed Middle East conflict disrupts global helium flows; China imports over 80% of its helium. Helium is critical to semiconductor manufacturing as a cooling and purge gas, so the measure lands hardest on chip-adjacent supply chains. It is China's first new trade countermeasure since the June 22 export-control list additions covering 10 US firms and the June 24 supply-chain investigation rules.

Coverage: Export country CN → Import country All · HS 28

• Source: SCMP — China announces temporary ban on helium exports
• Source: China Daily — Helium export suspension announcement
• Source: Global Trade Alert — China: temporary export ban on helium

Pending review · §122 / §301 · 2026-10-08 #

Verified 2026-10-08: §122 was 10% and expired 2026-07-24. Forced-labor §301 took effect 2026-07-24 at 10%–12.5%, with product exemptions and country-specific combined-rate rules.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS All

• Official source: CBP CSMS 67844987
• Official source: CBP CSMS 69326983

July 9 proclamation closes Section 232 aircraft probe with negotiations instead of tariffs; 180-day status update due, per Thompson Hine reporting #

Per trade-bar reporting by Thompson Hine in July 2026, a presidential proclamation issued July 9 concluded the Section 232 investigation into commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts that was initiated in May 2025. Commerce found that the imports threaten national security, but the Secretary recommended no immediate tariffs. Instead, the proclamation directs Commerce and USTR to pursue negotiated agreements with trading partners, with a status update due to the President in 180 days — around January 5, 2027 — and tariff remedies expressly reserved if the talks fail. This is the first Section 232 case of this administration resolved via a negotiation directive rather than immediate duties.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · HS 88

• Source: Thompson Hine SmarTrade — §232 aircraft findings: negotiations, not tariffs
• Source: J.M. Rodgers — Tariff watch: §232 aircraft, HTS updates, de minimis

Houthi attacks resume in the Red Sea: bulkers Magic Seas and Eternity C sunk July 6-9, 4 crew killed and 11 seized; MARAD issues advisory 2026-006 #

Houthi forces resumed attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea after a months-long lull — the first sustained attacks since late 2025. On July 5 a bulker came under gunfire about 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, with the crew safe; on July 6 the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulker Magic Seas was attacked 51 nautical miles southwest of Al-Hudaydah with drones, missiles, RPGs and small arms — the crew of 22 abandoned ship and the vessel sank, as confirmed by Houthi-released video. On July 7 the Greek-owned Eternity C was attacked by UAVs and RPG-armed speedboats and sank on July 9; 4 crew were killed and 11 mariners, Indian and Filipino, were seized and remained in Houthi custody as of July 10. The Houthis declared a ban on ships they deem 'Israeli-linked,' and US MARAD issued advisory 2026-006 for the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. Suez containership transits were already about 60% below pre-crisis levels — roughly 26 per week versus about 80 — and Maersk had re-diverted select services via the Cape of Good Hope from March 2026. The sinkings entrench Cape routing, which typically adds 10-14 days of transit plus higher fuel and war-risk premiums on Asia-Europe and Asia-US East Coast lanes.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country All · HS All

• Official source: MARAD MSCI Advisory 2026-006 — Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden
• Source: Seatrade Maritime — Eternity C death toll rises as ship reported sunk
• Source: Seatrade Maritime — Magic Seas confirmed sunk in Houthi video
• Source: gCaptain — Red Sea corridor slips back into crisis

Pending review · §122 / §301 · 2026-10-08 #

Verified 2026-10-08: §122 was 10% and expired 2026-07-24. Forced-labor §301 took effect 2026-07-24 at 10%–12.5%, with product exemptions and country-specific combined-rate rules.

Coverage: Export country CN · IN · JP · KR · VN · MX · BR · EU · ID · PK · EC · CA · BD · KH · TH · MY · SG · TW → Import country US · HS 61 · 62 · 63 · 64 · 84 · 85 · 87 · 03 · 04 · 07 · 08 · 27

• Official source: CBP CSMS 67844987
• Official source: CBP CSMS 69326983

USMCA first joint review: US declines renewal, triggering annual reviews and a July 1, 2036 termination backstop #

On July 1, 2026 the three USMCA parties held the mandatory first joint review, conducted virtually under Article 34.7. USTR Ambassador Greer's same-day statement: 'The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed.' The US refusal blocks the automatic 16-year extension to 2042 and shifts the agreement into annual joint reviews each July 1; absent a future consensus to extend, the USMCA terminates July 1, 2036 under Article 34.7's sunset mechanics (the 2036 date is drawn from law-firm analyses, not the USTR statement itself). Mexico (President Sheinbaum) and Canada had both submitted written support for the 16-year extension, having floated an extension to 2042 with 6-year reviews — rejected by the US; Economy Secretary Ebrard has floated a fallback of 10-year extension terms. The agreement remains fully in force meanwhile: tariff preferences, rules of origin and dispute settlement are unchanged, and roughly 85% of Mexican exports to the US still enter tariff-free under USMCA compliance. Mexico's next-phase priority is negotiating down US §232 steel/aluminum/auto tariffs, while Canada's retaliatory tariffs (~C$15.6bn on US steel/aluminum plus autos) remain in place.

Coverage: Export country All → Import country US · MX · CA · HS All

• Official source: USTR — Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Review
• Source: White & Case — USMCA 2026 Joint Review: US declines to extend, triggering annual reviews
• Source: CBC — U.S. declines to extend CUSMA trade deal
• Source: Mexico News Daily — USMCA 'remains in force,' Ebrard says