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The Month in International Trade—July 2026

Client Alert | 4 min read | 08.10.26

Top Trade Developments

Crowell Speaks

This news bulletin is provided by the International Trade Group of Crowell & Moring. If you have questions or need assistance on trade law matters, please contact Anand Sithian or Simeon Yerokun or any member of the International Trade Group.

Top Trade Developments

Short-circuited: FCC Updates Covered List to Prohibit Foreign Power Inverters and Advanced Robotic Devices

On July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) updated its Covered List, established through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act to include foreign-produced connected power inverters and advanced robotic devices. The designation of these products to the Covered List follows an Executive Branch national security determination that they “pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.”

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For more information, contact: Caroline Brown, Rajeev Raghavan, Jeremy Iloulian, Riley Delfeld, Dmitry Bergoltsev

BIS Eases Export Controls on the UAE

On July 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced a final rule granting the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) significantly more favorable treatment under the EAR by moving the UAE to the more permissive Country Group A:5. BIS cited the UAE’s status as a “U.S. Major Defense Partner” and its support in advancing U.S. national security interests, including Operation Epic Fury, as the basis for the regulatory change.

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For more information, contact: Scott Wise, Jeremy Iloulian, Nate Young

CIT Orders Refunds for Finally Liquidated IEEPA Entries

On July 15, 2026, U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) Judge Richard K. Eaton issued an update in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) refund litigation explaining that the Court will begin issuing refund orders for individual plaintiffs in the IEEPA tariff refund litigation.

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For more information, contact: Daniel Cannistra, Weronika Bukowski

FCPA and National Security Objectives Align: DOJ Announces First Settlement Related to Bribes That Benefitted Mexican Cartels

On July 17, 2026, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with The Scoular Company (Scoular), an agricultural supply chain company based in Omaha, Nebraska, to resolve allegations that Scoular relied on customs brokers to bribe Mexican government officials to allow Scoular goods to pass customs inspections and be delivered to Mexico from the United States. As part of its resolution, Scoular agreed to pay a $9,769,521 criminal penalty and forfeit an additional $414,351. Scoular also committed to continue cooperating with DOJ on any ongoing or future criminal investigations, implement a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent and detect violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and periodically report to DOJ on remediation and implementation of compliance measures throughout the term of the DPA.

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For more information, contact: Thomas Hanusik, Michael Atkinson, Alexander J. Kramer, Caroline Brown, Anand Sithian, Jeff Severson, Chris Murphy

Crowell Speaks

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

“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

“Trade, Tariffs, and Supply Chain,” 4th Annual Midwest Government Contracts Seminar, Chicago (September 16, 2026). Speakers: John Brew and Weronika Bukowski

“EU Forced Labor Regulation & Comparative Analysis with the US & UK Regimes,” ICPA Fall Europe Conference, Glasgow (September 9, 2026). Speaker: Vassilis (Vass) Akritidis

“Tariff Update,” Procurement Leaders, Virtual (August 11, 2026). Speaker: John Brew and Dan Cannistra

"Beyond Sanctions: The Growing Intersection of National Security, Technology Controls, and Compliance," Bloomberg, Webinar (July 28, 2026). Speaker: Dj Wolff

“Tariff Update,” American Hotel and Lodging Association, Washington, D.C. (July 28, 2026). Speakers: John Brew and Alex Schaefer

Trump’s Section 301 tariffs face lawsuit seeking removal, refunds
July 27, 2026 – Supply Chain Dive

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Insights

Client Alert | 1 min read | 08.10.26

ASBCA Denies Government Motion to Dismiss, Providing Key Guidance on Contractor Claim Standards Post-ECC International

In Appeal of Bahadir (a C&M case), the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals denied the government’s motion to dismiss in its entirety, ruling in favor of the contractor on both key issues raised by the government. The case arises from a contract for construction work at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, under which Appellant alleged government-caused delay and filed certified prolongation claims using a “windows analysis” methodology. The government moved to dismiss, arguing that Appellant failed to state a sum certain for each of what the government characterized as 38 distinct claims, and separately that four claims had not been properly presented to the Contracting Officer. ...

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