Bill introduced to ban government employees from using Huawei, ZTE products.

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Photo by Manuel Joseph on Pexels.com

Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley will introduce a bill banning US officials from using projects from Chinese companies that have been deemed to be national security threats. In the past, Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE have been deemed to be national security threats.

The proposed legislation is named the “Countering Chinese Attempts at Snooping Act” and would prohibit federal employees from conducting official business through technology from companies deemed by the State Department to be under the control of the Chinese government.

If passed, the bill would also require the State Department to create a list of companies supported by the Chinese company that could pose a threat and be used to conduct espionage.

This proposed legislation comes one month after President Trump signed into law legislation that barred the use of federal funds to purchase equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

If you have any questions about export compliance or think it’s time to revisit your compliance program, contact experienced compliance attorney David Hsu for a no-cost consultation by/phone or text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

35 pounds of counterfeit Xanax seized by Customs.

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Image of seized Xanax, source: CBP.gov

Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in the Champlain Port of Entry seized 35 pounds of counterfeit Xanax among 27 shipments.

The shipments were unlabeled pills but resembled the anxiety drug. Afterwards, CBP sent the pills for testing and were determined to contain the properties of Xanax. As Xanax is a schedule 4 controlled substance and cannot be shipped to the US without a prescription.

If you have had your shipment seized, contact David Hsu for a free consultation by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

COVID-19 test kits seized by Chicago Customs and Border Protection.

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Seized test kits, source: CBP.gov

Since the start of the pandemic and the nationwide shutdown, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have seized an increased number of unapproved or ocunterfeit COVID-19 tests. For example, at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the international mail facility has seized 11 shipments containing a total of 1,147 test kits. The seized test kits have a value of $10,847 and most of the test kits came from England.

CBP warns the public of the health risks of using unapproved and counterfeit safety equipment. CBP advises the public to go to medical professionals in the US for testing instead of relying on potentially dangerous home testing kits.

According to CBP, the test kits were manifested as “Test Kit Not Restricted” and upon further examination Customs found packages labeled “COVID-19 Rapid Test Device”. As the devises are not FDA approved, they were seized and likely turned over to the FDA to be destroyed.

If you have had your shipment seized by Customs, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at anytime: 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.