Overview
- President Donald J. Trump signed the executive order Strengthening Customs Enforcement on June 3, 2026, giving CBP clear instructions to overhaul how imports are regulated and enforced.
- The order requires stricter standards for importers of record, which are the people or companies legally responsible for bringing goods into the United States, including higher bonds, minimum tangible domestic assets, recurrent vetting, and limits on foreign importers’ roles.
- It directs CBP to set a minimum penalty floor of 50 percent for assessed customs violations, expand audits, and tighten broker responsibilities to reduce duty evasion and improve accountability.
- The EO demands faster seizure and disposal of noncompliant goods by easing voluntary abandonment rules, authorizing third-party disposal, and raising bond levels for high-risk shipments.
- Most changes are not immediate: the order sets deadlines for agencies to issue rules, publish transparency reports, and submit legislative recommendations over the next 45 to 180 days with a one-year review, and stakeholders including importers, brokers, unions and trading partners are preparing to engage in the rulemaking process.