Strengthening Customs Enforcement

The order intensifies scrutiny on importers, especially foreign ones, to close enforcement gaps, boost national security, ensure duty payments, and protect American businesses and consumers.

What the order does ​

• Raises eligibility, bonding, and data disclosure requirements for importers of record (IORs).
• Prohibits foreign IORs from filing informal entries and imposes stricter rules on their formal entries.
• Bars IORs not in “good standing” with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from importing.
• Updates and cleans the IOR registry, sorting IORs by compliance risk.
• Mandates enhanced and recurrent vetting for all parties handling imports.
• Institutes rigorous supply chain disclosure and compliance certification rules.
• Requires U.S.-bound exporters to submit their foreign pre-export customs docs.
• Increases enforcement actions: stricter audits, penalties, and ineligibility for repeat violators.
• Expedites seizure and disposal of non-compliant imports.
• Enhances public transparency via annual enforcement reports and disclosure standards.
• Mandates legislative recommendations and results reporting on customs enforcement.

Who it affects ​

• U.S. and foreign importers of record (IORs).
• Customs brokers, freight forwarders, and related logistics providers.
• Exporters shipping goods to the United States.
• Domestic manufacturers and businesses involved in importing.
• CBP and Department of Homeland Security staff.

Context ​

The order responds to systemic failures and abuses in customs, notably around undervaluation, evasion of duties, illicit substances, and challenges of enforcing U.S. law on foreign entities.