Insights on International Trade & Investment

International Trade & Investment Partner Jessica DiPietro will participate in a fireside chat discussing the evolving role of Section 232 as a key tariff tool on June 2, 2026.

One week after the US House of Representatives passed a Farm Bill that expressly integrates food security into national security, Congressman John Moolenaar, Chairman of the Select Committee on China, and 13 bipartisan cosponsors introduced a standalone bill that would take significant additional steps aimed at safeguarding US national security and food security.

Welcome to the May 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

On May 12, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Perfectus Aluminum Inc., Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions LLC, and four affiliated warehousing companies agreed to one of the highest customs fraud settlements ever: a $549.5 million resolution of civil False Claims Act (FCA) allegations that they knowingly evaded antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on aluminum extrusions imported from China.

In the latest episode of Five Questions, Five Answers, host Birgit Matthiesen is joined by ArentFox Schiff colleagues Jackson David Toof and Mario A. Torrico for a conversation on the False Claims Act (FCA), its origins, and its continued importance as a tool to combat fraud against the federal government.

International Trade & Investment Partner and Customs & Import Compliance Practice Leader Angela Santos will speak on a CLE panel exploring the growing friction between customs valuation and transfer pricing regimes in global trade at the ABA International Law Section’s Annual Conference on May 14, 2026.

On April 24, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced a $2.1 million settlement with Echelon Fitness Multimedia, LLC, resolving False Claims Act (FCA) allegations of undervaluation leading to the underpayment of duties.

Following recent episodes that examined specific US tariff announcements, today’s discussion takes a wider view.

International Trade & Investment Senior Attorney Tanya Secor will moderate a CLE panel, co-chaired by International Trade & Investment Partner Christopher Skinner, on the increasing importance of rules of origin in today’s global trade environment at the ABA International Law Section’s Annual Conference on May 12, 2026.

International Trade and Investment Counsel Sylvia Costelloe will speak on a panel discussing how new Department of Commerce regulations on information technology are reshaping supply chain security as part of the ABA’s ILS Annual Conference on May 12, 2026.

On May 7, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled 2-1 that the 10% tariffs President Trump imposed on virtually all US imports under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 are unlawful.

Rapid changes to US tariff policy have transformed what were once transactional import decisions into issues with enterprise-wide implications. The reliance on tariffs has had bipartisan support across Administrations, and the risks are not going away.

Welcome to the April 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

International Trade & Investment Partner and Customs / Tariff Practice Leader Antonio Rivera will speak on a panel offering insights on how battery leaders are operating and investing under a changing US policy regime as part of The Battery Show South conference on April 22, 2026.

Lucas Rock wrote for SupplyChainBrain on how the US government is using Section 301 investigations to encourage its trading partners to strengthen, adopt, and enforce their own forced labor prohibitions.

Importers now have a path to reclaim tariffs they never should have paid.

While Section 232 tariffs have so far been largely a metals-and-autos story, pharma has now officially joined the narrative.

International Trade & Investment Co-Leader and Partner Nancy Noonan will provide insights on emerging issues and recent developments in customs and trade at The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law’s 24th Annual Dominick L. DiCarlo US Court of International Trade Lecture on April 9, 2026.

Partner James Kim was quoted on the various strategies companies are enacting to address receiving tariff refunds.

On April 2, President Trump signed a new Proclamation titled “Strengthening Actions Taken to Adjust Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States,” which fundamentally restructures how Section 232 tariffs are assessed on steel, aluminum, copper, and their derivative products.

Partner James Kim was quoted on the Court of International Trade’s filing that amended their previous order to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ignore tariffs installed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when processing refunds for unprocessed or unfinalized entries.

The Trump Administration’s tariff strategy has undergone a significant legal pivot in recent weeks. After the February 20 US Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, the Administration immediately announced that they would impose tariffs under alternative authorities, seemingly in an attempt to mirror the IEEPA tariff regime.

Join ArentFox Schiff Counsel Sylvia Costelloe for a panel discussion hosted by the Women In International Trade Orange County (WITOC).

As in 2025, the first few months of 2026 have seen fashion and retail companies operating in an environment where legal developments increasingly shape day-to-day business decisions, and the same is expected to continue throughout the rest of the year.

As we approach the close of the first quarter of 2026, our Labor, Employment & OSHA team highlights some of the leading legal developments and issues that employers face, including the reshaping of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); artificial intelligence (AI) regulation at the state level; continuing expansion of state paid family and medical leave laws; challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace; and changes to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) guidance and enforcement.