The Month in International Trade—October 2026

Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Group Recognized in 2027 Best Law Firms 

Crowell & Moring earned 60 rankings in the 2027 edition of Best Law Firms, including national recognition in 18 practice areas and 41 regional rankings across seven markets. 

Among them, Crowell’s International Trade Group received recognition both nationally and in Washington, D.C. 

The rankings are the result of a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and professional reference evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, industry leader interviews and review of additional firmographic highlights provided by law firms as part of the formal research submission process.  

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Top Trade Developments

New AD/CVD Petitions Filed on Shopping Carts from China 

Antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) petitions filed on October 28, 2026, cover shopping carts and cart parts from China. The petitions allege dumping margins of 165 percent to 343 percent, along with a range of Chinese subsidies, and Commerce must decide whether to initiate investigations by November 17, 2026. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this article. 

For more information, contact: Dan Cannistra, Pierce Lee 

 

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The UK Defence Footprint 2026 and the Warsaw Defence Plan: Investment, Innovation and Opportunities 

On 27 October 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence (“MOD”) published UK Defence Footprint 2026 (the “Footprint”), bringing together defence spending and industrial initiatives, including previously announced investments, and setting out planned defence spending of £298 billion over the next four years. On the same day it published the Footprint, the UK government published an announcement outlining the Warsaw Defence Plan, the first phase of cooperation under the UK-Poland Security and Defence Partnership Treaty, including on drones, cyber security and defence procurement. Together, they highlight two complementary priorities: strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base and deepening cooperation with its allies.  

Click here to continue reading the full version of this alert. 

For more information, contact: Emma Young, Grace Tang 

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New AD/CVD Petitions Filed on Shopping Carts from China 

Antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) petitions filed on October 28, 2026, cover shopping carts and cart parts from China. The petitions allege dumping margins of 165 percent to 343 percent, along with a range of Chinese subsidies, and Commerce must decide whether to initiate investigations by November 17, 2026. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this article. 

For more information, contact: Dan Cannistra, Pierce Lee 

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EU Adds Nearly 1,600 Russia Sanctions Listings, Targeting Defense Supply Chains 

On October 12, 2026, the EU adopted its largest-ever single round of Russia sanctions listings, adding 826 companies associated with Russia’s military-industrial complex and 743 executives of these companies to Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014. The 1,569 additions bring listings under the EU’s regime supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity to nearly 4,600. Separate measures targeted 77 individuals involved in illegal Russian elections in occupied Ukrainian territory and seven parties connected to North Korea. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this article. 

For more information, contact: Erik Woodhouse, Celine De Buck

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Importers of Chassis Made Outside China With Chinese Parts May Recover AD/CVD Deposits as CIT Again Rejects Commerce’s Scope Ruling 

The U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) has again rejected the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) determination that chassis manufactured in Vietnam with Chinese-origin parts are covered by the antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) orders on chassis from China. In Pitts Enterprises, Inc. dba Dorsey Intermodal v. United States, Slip Op. 26-121 (October 7, 2026), Judge Claire R. Kelly remanded Commerce’s redetermination for a second time. The court held that Commerce’s reading of the orders to cover “unfinished subassemblies” is contrary to their plain meaning, and that, in any event, the phrase “any other processing” in the orders does not include welding or fabrication. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this article. 

For more information, contact: Dan Cannistra, Pierce Lee 

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DOJ Fraud Division Issues Corporate Enforcement Directive 

On October 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Fraud Enforcement Division issued Directive 26-12: Corporate Enforcement in the Fight Against Fraud. Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald’s October directive follows his August 2026 memorandum setting the Division’s enforcement priorities. The directive signals — in the DOJ’s words — “an aggressive, all-tools” enforcement posture across the Division’s health care, government contracting, tax, and trade fraud priorities, while simultaneously supporting the incentives designed to promote transparency, reward cooperation, and encourage voluntary disclosure of misconduct.  

Beyond reinforcing the Division’s priorities, this October directive outlines the factors the Division will give “great weight” to when making corporate charging and plea decisions. Companies operating in the areas of health care, government contracts, and international trade should take particular note.  

Click here to continue reading the full version of this article. 

For more information, contact: David H. Favre, Nimrod Aviad, Derek Hahn, Alexander J. Kramer, Agustin D. Orozco, Preston Pugh 

 

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Crowell Speaks

“The Digital Assets Regulatory Reset: What Has Changed, What Has Not, and What Legal and Compliance Teams Need to Watch,” Digital Assets: Compliance, Enforcement & Regulatory Oversight, New York (November 17, 2026). Moderator: Anand Sithian 

Compliance Conference 2026, New York City Bar Association, New York (October 20, 2026). Speaker: Carlton Greene 

“IEEPA 2.0: Navigating the Current U.S. Tariff Landscape,” Retail Law Conference, Kansas City (October 14, 2026). Speakers: John Brew and Dan Campbell 

“Global Sourcing and National Security: Special Considerations for Government Contractors,” 2026 Government Contracts 101 Seminar, Washington, D.C. Speakers: Addie Cliffe, Scott Wise, Alexandra Barbee-Garrett, Rachel Ferns  

“Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations: UFLPA Overlap and What Companies Should Do Now,” 15th Advanced Forum on U.S. Customs Compliance & Enforcement, Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2026). Speaker: John Brew 

Who Owns Sanctioned Oligarchs’ Empires Now? A Boom in Russian Trusts Is Hiding the Answer 

October 8, 2026 – The Brief
Related Professional: Erik Woodhouse