Duty-free imports of low-value goods under the Section 321 program will soon face significant restrictions under rulemaking signaled by the Biden Administration. ...more
On September 13, the Biden-Harris administration announced new actions to address "significant increased abuse" in the use of the de minimis import exemption. The de minimis import exemption allows low-value shipments (i.e.,...more
Under the current de minimis rule, shipments with an aggregate value up to $800 per day per person can be imported free of duties and taxes, except for antidumping and countervailing duties and taxes collected by other...more
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) published a consultation document on July 4, 2024, seeking input from stakeholders on a proposed roadmap for addressing plastic waste and pollution from the textile and apparel...more
The U.S. Governmental Accountability Office (“GAO”) has issued a July 9th Report titled: Science & Tech Spotlight – Textile Recycling Technologies (“Report”). ...more
Buchalter can assist by providing you with recommendations for testing laboratories, detailed analysis of state and federal PFAS regulations, create compliance programs tailored to meet regulatory requirements, assist in the...more
The Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") recently announced an enhanced strategy to combat illicit trade in the textile industry, including violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ("UFLPA")....more
In an unprecedented, but anticipated, move last Friday, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expanded the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List with the addition of 26 new Chinese textile companies in...more
Microplastics, plastics less than 5 millimeters in length, are becoming a growing concern due to their ubiquity and persistence in the environment and potential effects on ecological and human health. A 2017 publication by...more
Welcome to the April 2024 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and...more
The Final Rules keep rolling in, but with a twist. Each of the two Final Rules released in March were accompanied by Supplemental Notices of Proposed Rulemaking. In both cases, the Supplemental Rulemakings, if adopted, would...more
On November 13, 2023, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators published a letter to Acting Commissioner Troy Miller of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) calling for an increase in CBP enforcement activity targeting...more
Project W alumna Sarika Bajaj and her co-founder Tushita Gupta are solving a 186 billion-pound problem. That's 186 billion pounds of textiles that are discarded each year, while less than 1% of that waste is recycled. With...more
The annual Smart Fabrics Summit was held again this year at the Wilson College of Textiles of North Carolina State University, sponsored by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA, formerly the Industrial Fabrics Association...more
In recent years, the topic of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) has become well-known to the general public. State and federal regulators have implemented new regulatory standards for PFAS in groundwater, drinking...more
Although there is no federal ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in textiles, there continues to be activity at the state level to limit PFAS in textiles, with many prohibitions becoming active over the next...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Safer Clothes and Textiles Act (AB 1817) (the “Act”) into law on September 29, 2022. The Act bans per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in textiles. The textile, clothing,...more
Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, recently signed a bill which prohibits the sale of apparel that contains “intentionally added” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (“PFAS”) starting on December 31, 2023. New York...more
The fashion industry has been dodging a colossal optics problem, but the aftermath of holiday shopping may finally expose prominent fashion houses for their part in contributing to environmental degradation. The metrics of...more
California's Governor Newsom signed into law two bills prohibiting PFAS in cosmetics (AB 2771) and in textiles (AB 1817), respectively. The bills define PFAS broadly as "a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at...more
The State of California has always been a leader in regulating chemical ingredients contained in products sold in the state (think Prop 65), and it has turned its sights towards per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)....more
On September 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB 1817 and AB 2771 into law, which prohibit the manufacture, distribution, sale, and offering for sale of new “textile articles” that contain “regulated perfluoroalkyl and...more
California joined the growing list of states to ban products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) when, on September 29th, Governor Newsom signed into law legislation prohibiting the so-called “forever...more
On September 29, 2022, California’s governor signed two bills which prohibit the manufacture, distribution, or sale of apparel, textiles, and cosmetics that contain “intentionally added” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl...more
Summary - California enacted two bills last week banning all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—known as PFAS and colloquially as “forever chemicals”—in textiles and cosmetics, effective in 2025. Governor Gavin Newsom...more