Category Archives: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

What is a Customs Form 28 (CF-28)(CBP Form 28) Request for Information?

February 19, 2020 By in CBP, Customs, Customs Broker, Customs Lawyer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
CF28

Image of the CF-28, source: CBP.gov

If you are an importer, you may have received a Customs Form 29 (CF-29) or CBP Form 28. This form is an official request for information from Customs.

Why did I receive a CBP Form 28?
Upon importation of your goods, if Customs finds incomplete, inaccurate or insufficient information, they will send a CF 28 to your office.

What does Customs ask for?
Customs will ask for different things depending on what you imported. They could ask for more information or ask for a sample, or any additional information related the specific goods you imported.

What are some common reasons to receive a CF-28?
Most common issues relate to HTS code classification, intellectual property rights, antidumping and countervailing duty and more.

Do I need to respond?
Yes, you need to respond honestly to the CF-28 wihtin the time specified on the letter. A response is due 30 days from the date of the request (the Date of Request is located in box #1 at the top left corner of page 1).

What do I do if I receive a CF-28?
1. Make a note of the due date.
2. Try to respond as quickly as possible.
3. Answer all questions, be sure to look at box 14 to see if there are any additional items you are asked to provide.
4. Talk to your Customs broker if you need copies of any documents.
5. Respond to all questions honestly

Feel free to reach out to Customs if you have questions. The CF-28 will contain the name, email and telephone number of the CBP Official in boxes 17-21 at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions on how to respond to the CF-28, contact experienced Customs attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

CBP Returns artifacts to Cyprus Government

February 18, 2020 By in antiques, CBP, cultural artifacts, Customs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
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Image of seized coins being returned to the Cyprus Government; source: CBP.govQ

Back in 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) seized a shipment of ancient coins in a 2009 air cargo shipment from London to a coin collector in Missouri. CBP officers seized the coins and sent a request to the coin collector for documentation to show they could import the goods.

In general, CBP is tasked with returning cultural property (arts, artifacts, antiques, etc) to the country that owns the cultural property. CBP does require importers to have the correct documents to show they have the ability to import the goods in to the US. In the instnat seizure, the collector in Missouri told CBP they did not have authority from Cyprus and the coins were seized. Recently, the coin collector lost their legal battle and the coins were returned to the government of Cyprus in a ceremony at the Cyprus Embassy in Washington D.C.

According to the Customs media release:

An appraisal determined that the collection dated from the Roman Empire, from several periods during 81 BC through 217 AD. The collection includes:

Two bronze coins from an unspecified Roman period
One coin from the Ptolemaeus period, 81 BC -58 BC
One coin from the Augustus period, 27 BC – 14 AD
Two coins from the Tiberius period, 14-37 AD
One coin from the Severan period, 193 AD – 217 AD

If you have had your import seized because they were a “cultural artifact”, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu to evaluate your options. Phone/text 832-896-6288 at anytime or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

Counterfeit Goods Seizure Act of 2019.

January 29, 2020 By in Counterfeit, Customs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Nike, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment
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Photo by Florian Köppen on Pexels.com

In early December 2019, the Counterfeit Goods Seizure Act of 2019 was introduced in the U.S. Senate to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enforce design patents at the border.

Currently, Customs has the power to enforce only copyrights and trademarks that have been previously recorded with Customs under Section 1595a(c)(2)(C) of Title 19 of the U.S. Code.

The new bill amends amending 19 U.S.C. § 1595a(c)(2)(C) to allow Customs discretionary power to seize and detain imported goods that infringe upon a recorded U.S. design patent.

The reason for this bill is because counterfeiters are capable of producing nearly 1 to 1 replicas of goods that avoid seizure by Customs because the counterfeit goods do not include the infringing trademark.

For example, in 2018, counterfeiters imported over $70 million in fake Nike shoes similar to the Air Jordan line and avoided customs by not including the trademarked logos – not surprisingly, Nike is one prominent supporter of the new bill.

If the bill passes, future counterfeit Air Jordan shoes omitting any trademarked labels would be subject to seizure as Customs would now be able to enforce design patents.

If you have had a seizure for suspected violations of intellectual property or trademarks, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

Customs seizes $32,000 in currency from travelers.

January 29, 2020 By in CBP, Currency, currency seizure, Customs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
SAT Currency Seizure 2

Image of seized unreported currency, source: CBP.gov

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection media release, CBP officers working at the San Antonio International Airport carried out 2 seizures of currency currency from travelers who under reported the amount of currency they were carrying.

In the first seizure, CBP officers stopped a pair of travelers arriving from Mexico. The travelers individually reported they were carrying less than $10,000, but upon subsequent questioning by CBP, admitted they divided the money amongst each other to get below the $10,000 threshold. This agreement among parties to divide the money amongst themselves is known as “structuring” in the eyes of Customs. The total amount seized from the two travelers totaled $14,807.

Similarly, in the second seizure, 2 Mexican nationals were detained and questioned regarding the amount of currency they were carrying. Both individuals reported carrying below the $10,000 threshold amount, however, they both admitted they divided the currency before boarding the flight. The combined amount of currency totaled $17,200.

In short, the two take aways are to always report how much currency you are carrying and to answer all questions by CBP truthfully.

Other tips to avoid currency seizures:

  1. Always declare any amounts you have.
  2. Always declare any currency (regardless of denomination), monetary instruments such as checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, etc.
  3. If you are traveling in a group, count the group as one.

While not mentioned, I believe the travelers were alerted to CBP by trained dogs and then the travelers were followed on camera prior to the flight.

“Travelers are provided multiple opportunities to mak

If you or someone you know have had their hard earned currency seized by Customs, contact experienced currency seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

End of the Customs Broker’s District Permit?

January 29, 2020 By in Customs, Customs Broker, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com

For the past several years, there have been efforts within CBP to remove the requirement for individual district permits. Just recently CBP published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to take the first step to getting rid of the district permits (see: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/customs-brokers).

The proposed rules will likely address the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee’s (COAC) recommendations. Some recommendations are listed below:

  1. “District permit” and “national permit” will be replaced with “the permit” to reflect a single permit functioning at the national level.
  2. Single permit allows brokers to have authority to conduct customs business at the national level.
  3.  Transition to a single permit.
  4.  Brokers need to show evidence how they intend to exercise responsible supervision and control.
  5.  Enhancements to ACE for broker reporting and streamlining broker reporting.
  6.  Requires the Power of Attorney come from the importer to the broker.
  7.  Removing specific feed dollar amounts
  8.  Require customs business may be conducted only within the customs territory of the United States.

If you need help or have questions about this transition, give David Hsu a call/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

15,000 invasive mitten crabs seized since September 2019.

January 26, 2020 By in CBP, Customs, Customs Lawyer, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
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Image of seized mitten crabs, source: CBP.gov

According to a US Customs and Border Protection media release, Customs agents in Cincinnati have seized 3,700 mitten crabs from China and Hong Kong in the past 4 months.

Over the past 4 months, 3,700 mitten crabs have been found in 51 shipments and were set to be delivered to New York. The shipments were labeled as “tools and various clothing articles”. Nationwide, Customs has seized over 15,000 mitten crabs since September 2019. The mitten crabs are considered a delicacy in Asia.

Here in the US, mitten crabs are an invasive species because they are omnivores and eat anything, impacting the food supply to aquatic plants, fish, algae, other crabs and all living organisms in the water. Mitten crabs are also especially invasive as they are found in fresh water when young and salty water in adult life. Mitten crabs also tend to burrow furthering land erosion and weakening levees and flood control measures.

If you have received a letter from Customs regarding the wrongful importation of invasive species or if you have questions about the exportation of foods that may be subject to Fish and Wildlife regulations, contact experienced Customs and seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

CBP seizes $90,000 in counterfeit goods from Hong Kong.

January 23, 2020 By in Attorney, CBP, Counterfeit, Customs, Customs Lawyer, Import Export Attorney, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment
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Image of seized goods. Source: CBP.gov

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) media release, officers seized two shipments of counterfeit products arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The first shipment’s manifest indicated the package contained men’s casual shoes. Upon inspection, CBP found a Rolex watch, LV bracelet, Christian Loubouton shoes, par of Amiri jeans, Gucci jacket and a LV sweatshirt. If authentic, the merchandise would have a manufacturer suggested retail price of $90,798.

In the second shipment, the packing list indicated phones cases – but instead contained designer brand charms and jewelry.

As is the case in most counterfeit seizures, poor quality of items and lack of authentic packaging were common indications of counterfeit merchandise.

CEE?
In all counterfeit seizure cases, CBP typically sends the counterfeited items to the Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEE for short). The CEE center is sort of a misnomer, as the CEE offices are located throughout the US and not in a centralized location. The CEE center then verifies the authenticity of the goods with the trademark holders. In all cases, the trademark holder will claim the seized goods are counterfeit.

So what happens after a seizure?
The importer of record (person who will receive the package) will receive a seizure notice by certified mail, return receipt requested. The importer of recorder can then either abandon the items, file a petition, offer in compromise or refer to court action.

If you have had a shipment seized by Customs for alleged counterfeit violations or if you have received a notice of seizure, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

Undeclared currency seized by traveler to Lebanon.

January 16, 2020 By in Attorney, CBP, Currency, currency seizure, Import Export Attorney, Travel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , Leave a comment
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Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) media release, a passenger traveling to Lebanon had her undeclared currency seized at Philadelphia International Airport.

CBP officers approached the traveler and informed her of the currency reporting requirements. After explaining the requirements they asked the traveler how much money she was carrying. She replied $10,000 and upon subsequent examination or her belongings, CBP officers seized a total of $15,000.

Customs released $300 to her for “humanitarian purposes” and released her.

As you are aware, all currency over $10,000 needs to be declared. The currency is not taxed nor taken, but only has to be reported. People traveling in the same party are subject to the $10,000 limit as a party and not individually. The humanitarian relief is a discretionary amount and is not always given to the travelers.

If you have had a  currency seizure at the airport or any of the 400+ ports of entry to the US, contact experienced currency seizure attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

CBP inspects agriculture shipments for pests and diseases.

January 3, 2020 By in CBP, Customs, Customs Lawyer, invasive species, pests, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Leave a comment
christmas tree with decors under the staircase

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) media release, Agriculture Specialist have inspected thousands of fresh cut Christmas trees, which are imported from Canada since last October continuing all the way to December. Puerto Rico has the longest Christmas holiday celebration in the World and trees are imported from November into mid-January.

Christmas Tree shipments to Puerto Rico were inspected by the US Department of Agriculture, which may require them be treated to remove harmful insects, diseases or pest that can spread and contaminate other trees or crops.

Some of the invasive species identified by CBP Agricultural Specialists have determined to be invasive pests include: Altica sp. (Chrysomelidae), Aphalara cathae (Linnaeus), Arion sp. (Arionidae), Caloptilla sp. (Gracillariidae), Cepaea sp. (Helicidae), Cinara sp. (Aphididae), Deroceras reticulatum (Muller), Galerucini Hylobius sp. (Curculionidae), Hylobius sp. (Curculionidae), Insecta Otiohynchus singularia (Linnaeus), Paria sp. (Chrysomelidae), Pubillia sp. (Membracidae), Pyrrharctia Isabella (Erebidae), and Xyleborus sp. (Curculionidae).

If your shipment has been seized by customs for containing invasive pests or if you have had a wood packaging/pest issue – contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu by text/phone at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

CBP prohibits invasive pests from importation to the US.

December 11, 2019 By in CBP, Customs, Customs Lawyer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pest, pests, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized, wood packaging material, wood wasps, wooden packaging materials, WPM Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
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Image of invasive pests, source: CBP.gov

As we enter the holiday season, Agriculture Specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were busy conducting searches of trucks containing Christmas tree and greenery shipments. Over 200 trucks and 170,000 plant units were inspected, resulting in the interception of more than 350 invasive pests. Two of the invasive pests can be seen in the photo above.

Mid-November to early-December are the busiest times for the importation of trees and greenery used around the holidays. Without the help of CBP Agriculture Specialists, some of those pests may have arrived to certain parts of the US where they do not have any natural predators, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and the loss of large numbers of trees.

Typically if your imported items contain invasive pests, the items will be destroyed and not allowed into the stream of commerce. Our clients frequently encounter invasive pests (such as the wood-boring wasp) and their larve in wood packaging materials (WPM) used in the shipment of breakbulk and other containerized shipping to the US.

If you or anyone you know has had an invasive pest issue with WPM or your shipment is being denied entry into the US due to invasive pests, contact experienced WPM attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.