Every change that moves a number, dated and sourced.

USTR opens public comment on US-China Board of Trade mechanism scope & operation #

In early June 2026, USTR published a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the scope and operation of the US-China Board of Trade — the new bilateral institution announced at the May 14-15 Beijing summit. The mechanism is intended to operationalize ongoing dialogue on balanced and reciprocal trade, including identification of non-sensitive goods that can deliver benefits for US farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, manufacturers, and workers. Public comment deadline: July 10, 2026. China's MOFCOM spokesperson He Yongqian publicly endorsed the Board of Trade as the preferred negotiation venue, contrasting it with the forced-labor §301 tariff action which MOFCOM opposes. The Board of Trade is the structural complement to the Board of Investment also established at the Beijing summit.

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

• Official source: USTR — Public Comment on Board of Trade Mechanism
• Source: Global Times — China opposes 'forced labor' restrictions
• Source: Tribune India — China urges US to drop forced-labour tariffs, hails Board of Trade

CIT strikes down §122 — CAFC administrative stay keeps collection in place pending appeal #

On May 7, 2026, the US Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 that Proclamation 11012 — the Trump administration's February 20 implementation of a 10% global surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — is unlawful. Reason: the statutory prerequisite of a 'large and serious balance-of-payments deficit' was not satisfied. Three plaintiffs (Burlap & Barrel Inc., Basic Fun Inc., State of Washington) received a permanent injunction. On May 12, the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued an administrative stay of the CIT injunction pending appeal — meaning §122 continues to be collected from all other importers. On May 20, the CIT denied the government's separate motion for a further stay. The CAFC merits opinion is most likely late 2026 (standard 3-9 month appellate cadence after oral argument). Practically: §122 is judicially live limbo through §301's July 24 takeover.

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

• Source: Gibson Dunn — Section 122 Global Tariffs Invalidated by CIT
• Source: Skadden — US Trade Court Strikes Down Section 122 Tariffs
• Source: Norton Rose Fulbright — CIT Rules Section 122 Invalid
• Source: Holland & Knight — CIT Invalidates §122
• Source: FreightFigures — CAFC Stays the CIT Section 122 Ruling

CBP launches CAPE Phase 1: consolidated IEEPA refund process for duties paid Apr 2025 – Feb 2026 #

CBP issued CSMS #68315804 on April 10 confirming that Phase 1 of the Consolidated Adjustment for Prior Entries (CAPE) refund process launched April 20, 2026. The mechanism mass-processes accepted entry summaries by recalculating duties as if IEEPA tariffs were never owed; interest is computed under 19 CFR 24.36. The refund channel exists because the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs in Learning Resources v. Trump (Feb 20, 2026, 6-3 ruling). CBP follow-up CSMS dated April 13 detailed the entry-summary recalculation logic. Importers do not have to file entry-by-entry; CAPE consolidates the refund.

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

• Official source: CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds (CBP.gov landing page)
• Official source: CBP IEEPA FAQ
• Official source: CSMS #68315804 — CAPE Introduction (Apr 10)
• Official source: CSMS #68340863 — CAPE Update (Apr 20 deployment)
• Official source: CSMS #68396594 — CAPE Available Now
• Source: Thompson Hine SmarTrade — CBP Confirms April 20 Launch
• Source: Holland & Knight — CAPE Has Arrived: Navigating Phase 1
• Source: Sourcing Journal — IEEPA refund portal: 3% of entries refunded
• Source: Abasto — 11.2M IEEPA refund claims in first week
• Source: Neville Peterson — IEEPA Refund Litigation update + CAPE

PRC State Council Order No. 834 — China's first dedicated supply-chain security framework #

On March 31, 2026, China's State Council promulgated Order No. 834 — the Provisions on the Security of Industrial and Supply Chains — the PRC's first dedicated framework regulation for industrial and supply-chain security. The order, jointly enforced by MOFCOM and MIIT, provides the legal basis for sanctioning foreign companies, applies a 50% Rule for products incorporating controlled components, and embeds extraterritorial jurisdiction under the October 2025 export-control framework (extraterritorial enforcement deferred until November 2026). Effective May 1, 2026. The order serves as China's structural response to US trade-tool escalation through 2026 — paralleling §301 / §232 / IEEPA on the PRC retaliatory side.

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

• Source: White & Case — China extraterritorial jurisdiction and 50% Rule
• Source: Andersen Institute — China's Export Control Architecture
• Source: China Briefing — Export Controls overview

USTR Greer + Mexico's Ebrard formally launch bilateral USMCA pre-review track #

On March 18, 2026, USTR Jamieson Greer met Mexico's Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard in Washington to formally open bilateral USMCA review discussions, ahead of the July 1, 2026 first joint review. The published agenda: increasing US and Mexican production, limiting non-market inputs into North American supply chains, and identifying gaps in key supply chains. Canada was not included in this bilateral track — the meeting reads as a US-MX positioning channel rather than a trilateral preparatory.

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

• Official source: USTR press release — US-Mexico bilateral discussions next steps
• Source: Brookings — The US has formally started joint review of USMCA
• Official source: CRS — USMCA Joint Review process and role of Congress