Customs Seizures

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The reasons for seizures or liquidated damages vary, with country of origin marking issues, suspected counterfeit goods or other IP violations, failure to redeliver merchandise, and undeclared merchandise or money common examples. Customs, however, also exercises its enforcement authority on behalf of other federal agencies, including:

Food and Drug Administration
Consumer Products Safety Commission
Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
Fish & Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency

An importer with seized merchandise or a demand for liquidated damages has certain options for remediating the seizure or mitigating potential liquidated damages. Barnes/Richardson lawyers understand these options and can implement the best strategic approach for securing the release of your property or reducing any financial exposure. We draw on our firm-wide experience dealing with CBP seizures and demands for liquidated damages and offer thoughtful and objective solutions to address the circumstances of your situation, whether it be via the administrative petition process, judicial forfeiture in the local district court or abandonment of the property.

Sep. 16, 2025: Steel and Aluminum Derivatives Open for *More* Additions (Somehow)
Sep. 16, 2025: USTR Opens Comments for 2026 USMCA Review
Sep. 16, 2025: Commerce Issues Interim Auto Parts 232 Inclusion Process Information
Sep. 15, 2025: Implementing Some Tariff-Related Elements of the U.S.-Japan Agreement
Sep. 12, 2025: U.S. Tariff Focus in the Limelight of Mounting Russia Sanctions Debate
Sep. 8, 2025: Another Friday Surprise: Reciprocal Tariff Coverage Modified
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S. Seeks Expedited Writ of Certiorari from SCOTUS on IEEPA Tariffs Case
Sep. 5, 2025: 500% Tariffs & Other Sanctions Looming on Russia And Its Trading Partners
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S.–Japan Trade Deal Clarified to 15% Inclusive, Retroactive Tariff
Sep. 5, 2025: Mexico Considering Increasing Non-FTA Tariffs
Sep. 2, 2025: BIS Ending Validated End User (VEU) Program
Aug. 29, 2025: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Rules Against IEEPA Tariffs
Aug. 21, 2025: US and EU confirm Trade Framework in Joint Statement
Aug. 19, 2025: High-Priority Sectors Added to UFLPA Enforcement
Aug. 18, 2025: CBP Touts (Some) Dumping Evasion Wins
Aug. 15, 2025: New AD/CVD Petitions on High Purity Dissolving Pulp from Brazil and Norway
Aug. 15, 2025: Commerce Adds 407 (!) HTS Codes to 232 Derivative Annexes Starting Monday
Aug. 14, 2025: U.S. Eyes Content Percentage for "Transshipment" Enforcement
Aug. 11, 2025: Trump Extends China Tariffs by 90 Days
Aug. 11, 2025: Creatively Ambiguous Japan Deal has Unstacked 15% Baseline
Aug. 8, 2025: Indications of Steel and Aluminum Quotas for EU in Trade Deal
Aug. 6, 2025: Additional 25% Tariffs on Indian Imports Announced
Aug. 1, 2025: New Round of Global Tariffs: A Round Up
Jul. 31, 2025: Copper 232 Coverage Issued Through Customs
Jul. 30, 2025: Gird Your Wires: Copper Tariffs Coming August 1st
Jul. 30, 2025: Brazil Gets Its Own IEEPA Tariffs
Jul. 30, 2025: De Minimis Window to Close August 29
Jul. 29, 2025: Boston Train Cars Detained by Customs for Forced Labor Allegations
Jul. 28, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Agreement Framework with the EU
Jul. 23, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Deals with Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan
Jul. 16, 2025: USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigation on Brazil
Jul. 15, 2025: Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigations into Drones and Polysilicon Imports
Jul. 8, 2025: President Trump Spills the Tea on Copper Tariffs
Jul. 2, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Deal With Vietnam
Jul. 1, 2025: Canada Changes Course on Digital Services Tax
Jun. 17, 2025: Trump Administration and UK Sign Trade Deal
Jun. 16, 2025: Customs' Guidance on Aluminum Imports: Know the Country of Smelt and Cast or Pay 200%
Jun. 12, 2025: U.S. and China in a Trade Deal with Details to Follow
Jun. 9, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Rise, Change, and Maybe Expand
Jun.3, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on the Rise
Jun. 2, 2025: CIT Clarifies Scope Referral Requirement in EAPA Cases
May 30, 2025: Tariffs Back on For a While Probably, Maybe
May 22, 2025: Skirting the Law: UFLPA Compliance and Subsidiaries
May 15, 2025: Another Customs "Clarification" Excludes Feeder Ships from In-Transit Vessel Exemption
May 13, 2025: White House Announces Trade Deal With China (UPDATE)
May 12, 2025: Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigation on Aircraft, Engines, and Parts
May 12, 2025: White House Announces Trade Deal With China

View Archive

Jan. 22, 2025: Webinar: What We Know After the Inauguration
Sep. 9, 2024: McPherson to Co-Moderate Export Enforcement Discussion
Jun. 2, 2023: BRC and Attorneys Ranked in 2023 Chambers Guide
May 4, 2017: BRC Partner Lawrence Friedman to Speak at Upcoming PERT Event
March 2, 2017: David G. Forgue to Participate in Georgetown International Trade Update
February 14, 2017: BRC, Joern Law Firm to Hold Joint Webinar on Consumer Product Safety Rules and Import Requirements
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
April 10, 2014: BRC Secures Return of Seized Currency
February 5, 2013: Detentions, Exclusions, and Customs Protests
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
October 2, 2007: Brand Owners Can Prevent Increasingly Costly Offshore Counterfeit Activities
By: Frederic D. Van Arnam, Jr.
July 13, 2007: Strategies for Dealing with Counterfeiting
By: Frederic D. Van Arnam, Jr.
August 1, 2006: Section 337 Cases on the Rise
By: Matthew T. McGrath

U.S. Customs & Border Protection Seizure Information