Now that Evans is authorized to hold containers that are due for a customs inspection through our Container Freight Station, we received an invite to attend Trade Day! This event hosted by Customs and Border Protection discusses agency’s top priorities including a new Executive Order focused on increasing enforcement. Here is a look at what we learned.
In June of 2026, the White House issued Executive Order (EO) 14411: Strengthening Customs Enforcement with a goal of protecting US national security, foreign policy, and the economy.
The EO targets customs reform by identifying systemic inefficiencies, loopholes, enforcement mechanisms and outdate processes within the Customs & Border Protection agency. More specifically, they are targeting:
- Undervaluation of imported goods.
- Withholding critical Import of Record (IOR) information.
- Reduction of duty evasion.
- Reduction of illicit imports or forced-labor goods.
- Misclassifications of goods.
- Anything that prevents the governments ability to collect revenue.
This comes at a critical time when the government is experiencing a rapid increase in volume and speed of international trade and is issuing the largest trade refund in history.
- The year 2025 was significant for a number of reasons:
- 54 Presidential Actions were related to tariffs; amounting to $250 billion in tariff revenue
- $839 million per day was generated from customs revenue
- $1 billion in additional duties that invaded tariffs, a 300% increase
- $263 million in shipments identified under forced-labor
- In 2026 so far, 32 million seized counterfeit items resulting in $9.5 billion street value have been seized.
New enforcement of IORs includes, strict eligibility requirements, CTPAT validation, payment standing, enhanced disclosure requirements and importation documentation, increase in audits and larger penalties, including revocation for non-compliant customs brokers and importers. Another new aspect to the EO is IORs will be deactivated automatically if they are not actively importing after a certain time. Previously, IORs remained active indefinitely.
While the EO most targets foreign importers, it also impacts US importers, brokers, forwarders and logistics providers as goods move through the supply chain. Evans Distribution Systems opened a Container Freight Station to assist in more labor-intensive compliance model by offering 50,000 square feet of bonded warehousing space to Customs for container inspections. Read more about this new service here.
Importance of Country of Origin
We have been hearing about country of origin a lot lately—in regulatory documentation, news reports, and political commentary. Why is this so important today? How has this determination been used historically and how has it changed over time?
In its most basic form, the country of origin refers to where goods are grown, manufactured, designed, or substantially transformed. Labeling and markings of a geographic source can be traced back to nearly 4,000 years ago. In 1887, the British Parliament passed the Merchandise Marks Act that required imported goods to show origin.
In the U.S., the Tariff Act of 1930 was signed into law by President Hoover to protect import duties during the Great Depression.
Today it is a key determinant of the classification of tariffs and duties by U.S. Customs & Border Protection. One thing is for sure: country of origin is not the same as country of export. Country of export is where the product was shipped from; not where it was grown, produced, or manufactured. In today’s connected global economy, classification of origin becomes more complex when a finished good includes multiple components originating in different countries in a varying degrees of assembly.
Additionally, different countries have different definitions of origin, adding another layer of complexity. Rules of origin (ROOs) are principles of determining the country of origin and are often shaped by trade agreements between countries.
Final Comment
The latest EO is just a starting point for customs reform and is by no means in its final form. US customs is charged with identifying the final requirements for shippers and the development of the new enforcement policies and procedures needed to achieve reform.
Evans Distribution Systems is keeping a close eye on the formalization of the requirements and will keep customers up to date as these regulations unfold. One thing is for certain, Customs will be dedicating more time and effort to the examination of documents, containers, and enforcement of all requirements at every touch point: Importer, freight forwarder, customs brokers, third-party logistics providers and so on.
If you find your containers are delayed with from these heightened enforcement efforts, please let us know. Evans Distribution is a qualified Foreign Trade Zone, bonded warehouse and transportation provider, and Container Freight Station based in Metro Detroit? Contact Evans us at (313) 388-3200 or email sales@evansdist.com to start the inspection or clearance process today.