White House issues new executive order to strengthen customs enforcement, protecting U.S. consumers and businesses

WASHINGTON—Today, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order “Strengthening Customs Enforcement,” empowering U.S. Customs and Border Protection with a comprehensive set of tools to safeguard American consumers, businesses, and revenue while increasing transparency and compliance across international supply chains.  

“CBP stands ready to enforce this Executive Order,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “Importing into the U.S. has for too long been treated as a right and not a privilege. CBP will execute the priorities in this Executive Order and by doing so we will fortify our trading border just as we have done with our physical border.”

“This Executive Order helps CBP better detect when bad trade actors try to break the rules,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas. “These are major advances in protecting our revenue and increasing supply chain transparency—both critical to ensuring fairness for everyone and safeguarding our nation’s economic and national security.”

Among its key provisions, the Executive Order requires importers, whether domestic or foreign, to meet the same standards for transparency and accountability. As directed by the Order, importers are required to provide more detailed information about their ownership, business operations, and supply chain, and must maintain good standing with CBP to continue importing. Customs brokers will also be held to higher standards and be required to conduct greater due diligence of their importers.

“The Executive Order provides CBP with critical new tools and authorities to combat nefarious actors attempting to exploit our trade and cargo systems,” said CBP Office of Field Operations Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino. “Our officers and import specialists are now better equipped to identify, interdict, and penalize those who threaten our economic security and national interests through illicit trade practices." In addition, foreign importers are now subject to heightened import restrictions to protect the American public and revenue owed to the U.S. To further strengthen enforcement, bond rules are also being updated to set new minimums and leverage against risk. This ensures all importers are financially responsible for their activities, supports CBP’s ability to collect penalties for violations, and prevents companies from exploiting outdated requirements. Importers must also maintain good standing with CBP and risk losing their importing privileges if they fail to comply with U.S. customs and trade laws.

These changes advance the America First Trade Policy and strengthen customs enforcement by enhancing supply chain security, creating a level playing field for businesses that follow the rules, and protecting American consumers.

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