Tag Archives: covid-19

Unauthorized COVID-19 medicine seized.

May 29, 2020 By in covid-19, FDA, seizure notice Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
Seized COVID-19 medicine, source: CBP.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 360 pills of medicine marketed to treating COVID-19. The medicine was a violation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules preventing unauthorized medical treatments that may mislead consumers by making false claims to prevent or treat diseases or may in fact harm the consumer.

The FDA is especially concerned with unauthorized COVID-19 treatments that are marketed towards curing, treating or preventing serious illnesses.

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

Customs seizes Chinese medication for treatment of COVID-19.

May 27, 2020 By in corona virus, covid-19, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

pills

Image of seized pills, source: CBP.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the O’Hare International Airport international mail facility seized medication from China. The medication made claims it could treat COVID-19, violating FDA laws and therefore seized by CBP. CBP seized a total of 9,600 capsules of “Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang”. According to various sources online, Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang is a combination of dozens of herbs in capsule form. According to CBP, the shipment contained an estimated value of $28,797.

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

China announces 80% tariffs on Australian barley – the new trade war?

May 18, 2020 By in Australia, Uncategorized, WHO Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by Samuel Silitonga on Pexels.com

That escalated quickly! In addition to banning imports of Australian beef, the Chinese government announced on Monday, May 18th, 2020 an 80% tariff on Australian barley exports starting today.

The tariffs are likely in response to Australia’s government demanding an inquiry into the cause of the corona virus. The Chinese President Xi Jinping has claimed China acted “with openness and transparency” in their handling of the outbreak.

Also on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) also agreed to launch an independent probe into how they handled the international response to the corona virus. The countries requesting the investigation included African, European and other countries and is looking for a review of the WHO’s response to the corona virus outbreak.

In response to the new tariffs, Australia’s Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham on Monday night denied Australia had subsidized or dumped barley in China. Will be following this news carefully as China accounts for 33% of Australia’s total exports at $135 billion in 2019.

China blocks imports of Australian beef in response to Australian inquiry to the origin of the corona virus.

May 18, 2020 By in Australia, covid-19, Import, Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by Catarina Sousa on Pexels.com

According to theweek.in, an India news publication – Beijing is blocking imports of Australian beef after the Australian goverment asked for an inquiry into the source of the origin of the corona virus. However, China’s foreign ministry claims the suspension of beef imports is to protect Chinese consumers after violations of inspection and quarantine requirements by Australian companies.

The article highlights other instances of Beijing restricting imports:
1. China blocks imports of Norwegian salmon after a human rights prisoner was awarded the nobel prize
2. China blocks imports of canola from Canada to pressure Canada to release Huawei executive
3. China blocks imports of Philippine bananas in response to dispute over territory in the South China Sea

However, the article notes this is the first time Beijing has used banning imports in response to criticism over the corona virus. In response to the ban on Australian beef, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia draws clear lines on certain issues And those things are not to be traded.

This isn’t the first time China has blocked imports of Australian goods – in 2019, China suspended imports of Australian coal in response to Australia’s government recision of a visa for a Chinese businessman.

Will be interested to see what happens to the status of Australian beef imports to China.

CBP seizes counterfeit protective equipment and medications.

May 12, 2020 By in corona virus, FDA, PPE, seizure notice, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Image of seized medication, source: CBP.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seize shipments of counterfeit personal protective equipment (PPE) and medications to treat the corona virus.

Since late March and the height of the corona virus panemdic, CBP has seized, including but not limited to:

-1,200 “Linhua Qingwen” capsules that are not approved by the FDA for medicine in treatment of COVID-19.
-1,350 counterfeit test kits
-400 counterfeit N95 masks
-2,500 possibly counterfeit medicine such as Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate, Chloroquine, Azithromycin, Lianhua Qingwen and Liushen Jiaonang; and
-67,000 counterfeit ACCU-CHEK test strips.

If you have questions about your shipment seized by Customs and you want a free, no cost or obligation consultation, contact by phone/text David Hsu at anytime: 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

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Image of seized masks, source: cbp.gov

US pork exports to China increase while US faces meat shortage.

May 6, 2020 By in covid-19, Export, pork, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by mali maeder on Pexels.com

As part of Phase 1 of the US/China trade deal, China agreed to purchase more US goods and one such product has been pork to replace 1/3 of China’s hog population that was decimated in mid-2018 due to African swine fever. Besides pork, China also imported more US beef and poultry products after lifting a prior ban on US poultry. However, one downside of the Phase 1 trade deal has been exasperated by the meat processing plant closing as a result of COVID-19 infections. This has created the issue of too much meat being exported and not enough fresh meat being stocked in US grocery stores.

The U.S. meat shortage and the Phase 1 goals of increasing exports to China seem to be opposing forces, raising the question of whether sales and shipments will or should be limited. Some restrictions would not be surprising given U.S. President Donald Trump’s more combative tone in his recent comments on trade with China.

March 2020 saw the second highest volume of pork to China with the US exporting 95,892 tons, with a combined total of 280,507 tons of pork and pork product exported so far in 2020 (an increase of 300% over the first three months of 2019) with chicken feet being the largest exported US poultry item to China. The combined value of all pork, beef and poultry exports to China for January to March of 2020 totaled $781 million.

If you have any questions about the China trade deal or the 301 duties, contact David Hsu anytime by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

More counterfeit COVID-19 test kits seized.

May 5, 2020 By in corona virus, covid-19, FDA, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Test Kit 1

Image of seized COVID-19 test kit, source: CBP.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in New Jersey seized another shipment containing counterfeit COVID-19 test kits. A secondary inspection of the shipment discovered 25 COVID-19 test kits not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This seizure was just 25 out of the 600 COVID test kits seized at the Rochester airport.

All imported test kits are presumed to lack FDA approval as the FDA has only allowed 50 companies to develop and distribute the COVID test kits and the companies that manufactured the seized test kits have not been approved.

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My guess for the large number of imports and seizures of the test kits are due to family members overseas sending kits to their family in the US who want to be sure they do not have the virus and pass on to older family members.

If you have had your good seized by customs and want to know what you can do next, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu by phone at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

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

May 2, 2020 By in corona virus, covid-19, Customs Lawyer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

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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.

COVID-19 victim? Huawei dropped as UK 5G vendor.

April 21, 2020 By in 5G, Export, Huawei, Import Export Attorney, UK, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by Andre Moura on Pexels.com

One fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is the United Kingdom’s recent decision to move away from China-based Huawei as the company to help build the UK’s 5G infrastructure. Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson (who is currently recovering from COVID-19) gave Huawei the lead in building the UK’s 5G infrastructure.

UK lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative Party’s chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, is quoted as saying: “It’s a shared realization of what it means for dependence on a business that is part of a state that does not share our values,” Tugendhat said.

This is likely welcome news to the US which was very critical of Johnson’s decision last year to go with Huawei – raising concerns by the US that China could use Huawei technology to collect intelligence.

The US viewed Johnson’s decision on Huawei as a major blow to the “five eyes” electronic surveillance alliance among the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. US officials fear China could use Huawei to collect intelligence.

If you or your company does business with Huawei, and you  have concerns about your export compliance, contact experienced import/export compliance attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

CBP seizes non-FDA compliant thermometers.

April 21, 2020 By in corona virus, FDA, Import, Import Export Attorney, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection media release, CBP officers in El Paso’s Bridge of the America’s facility seized a shipment of “pyrometers” (infrared forehead thermometers) with a value of over $7,000.

Upon examination, the CBP officers found the pyrometers to be non-compliant with FDA regulations. It is important for FDA compliance on these types of thermometers because they can give false readings if they do not meet strict FDA requirements.

If you have had your goods seized for non-FDA compliance, or if you have any questions about ensuring FDA compliance BEFORE you import, contact experienced import and export attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.