In this week’s Roar: Trans-Pacific rates hold steady, Europe’s negotiation with Iran, truckload rates jump, US indicts four Chinese container makers, and building an ethical beauty supply chain. Data shows Trans-Pacific ocean freight rates have remained mostly flat lately, even as the industry moves into the traditional peak shipping season. While rates on major Asia–U.S. lanes are still up significantly since late February, much of the increase has been driven by capacity being limited by carriers and geopolitics as opposed to market demand....

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Highlights The $549.5 million Perfectus Aluminum settlement is more than ten times larger than the previous record for a customs-related False Claims Act (FCA) resolution and the latest in a string of major cases involving Chinese imports. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)'s new Corporate Enforcement Policy creates a 120-day clock. Once a whistleblower reports internally, the company has 120 days to self-disclose or lose eligibility for a presumptive declination of prosecution. A single customs fraud scheme can simultaneously...

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Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s invalidation of the Trump administration’s tariff program under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has moved quickly to operationalize what may become one of the largest tariff refund processes in recent history. On April 20, 2026, CBP launched new functionality in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal, through the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) framework, to support the submission and administration of valid IEEPA tariff refund claims. In CSMS #68536553, CBP also...

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In this week’s Roar: Tariffs back in the news, the April Logistics Manager’s Index, China’s declining air export volumes, tariff refunds on the way, and the cost of AI. A federal trade court (CIT) has ruled that President Trump’s 10% global tariffs were unlawful because they exceeded the authority granted under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This follows the earlier decision against Trump’s tariffs imposed under emergency powers laws. While the administration is expected to appeal, the ruling currently blocks...

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On May 7, 2026, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) held that the Trump administration’s temporary 10% global tariffs imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 are “invalid” and “unauthorized by law,” as applied to the plaintiffs before the court (the State of Washington and two private companies). The panel enjoined collection of the Section 122 duties from the plaintiffs but did not extend relief nationwide, meaning other importers may...

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In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) panel struck down May 7, 2025, the Trump administration’s implementation of Section 122 tariffs (see Thompson Hine Update of February 23, 2026). The 10% tariff on a wide range of imported goods, the panel reasoned, extended beyond President Trump’s power to address any “balance-of-payments” deficit, as provided under the statute. The judges, however, declined to block the Section 122 tariff nationwide, limiting their decision to imported goods of certain plaintiffs appearing...

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