U.S. Moves to Drop South Africa and Rwanda From AGOA; NAFTA Panel Lowers Canadian Lumber Subsidy Rates

President plans to end AGOA benefits for South Africa and Rwanda on Jan. 1, 2027

On November 2, 2026, USTR announced that the President has notified Congress and the governments of Rwanda and South Africa that he intends to remove both countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) preference program, effective January 1, 2027. The decision follows USTR's annual interagency eligibility review, which found that both governments are engaging in practices inconsistent with AGOA's eligibility criteria. For South Africa, USTR cited barriers to U.S. trade and investment, corruption, and threats to U.S. national security and foreign-policy interests. For Rwanda, it cited trade and investment barriers, rule of law, political pluralism, worker rights, human rights, and national-security concerns. USTR statement, Nov. 2, 2026

This is a notice of intent, not yet an implemented tariff change. USTR's release does not include a proclamation, a change to the HTSUS AGOA country list, or CBP filing instructions, and nothing has been published in the Federal Register yet. Until those documents appear, AGOA claims for qualifying goods of South Africa and Rwanda are not affected by this announcement. Once termination takes effect, those goods would lose AGOA duty-free treatment and fall back to the duty rates that otherwise apply.

Softwood lumber from Canada: Commerce lowers original CVD rates after NAFTA panel ruling

Commerce published a notice amending the final determination and countervailing duty (CVD) order in Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada (C-122-858). The change follows the NAFTA binational panel's final judgment in USA-CDA-2017-1904-02. The panel affirmed Commerce's second remand determination on October 5, 2026, and the NAFTA Secretariat issued its Notice of Final Panel Action on October 19, 2026. The notice applies from October 29, 2026. 91 FR 69242, FR Doc. 2026-22431 (Nov. 3, 2026)

Amended subsidy rates (original → amended, ad valorem)

• Canfor Corporation: 13.24% → 12.49%
• J.D. Irving Limited: 3.34% → 2.96%
• Resolute FP Canada Inc.: 14.70% → 13.90%
• Tolko Marketing and Sales Ltd.: 14.85% → 11.01%
• West Fraser Mills Ltd.: 17.99% → 16.73%
• All others: 14.19% → 12.80%

The order is not revoked for any company. Canfor, J.D. Irving, Resolute, Tolko and West Fraser have superseding cash deposit rates from later administrative reviews, so their current deposit rates do not change. Commerce says it will send CBP revised cash deposit instructions only for companies that have no superseding rate. The notice does not say which entries the amended rates will be used to liquidate. Importers should wait for Commerce's message to CBP before reconciling deposits or liquidations.

USMCA labor case: liquidation suspended for goods from Madobox in Michoacán

On November 2, 2026, the United States asked Mexico to review whether workers at Madobox, S.A. de C.V. in Uruapan, Michoacán, a maker of boxes for commercial use, are being denied freedom of association and collective bargaining. The request was made under the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. The Trade Representative directed the Secretary of the Treasury to suspend liquidation of unliquidated entries of goods from the facility. Mexico has 10 days to agree to a review and 45 days to complete it. USTR release, Nov. 2, 2026

The same day, the U.S. and Mexico announced a memorandum of understanding setting out remediation steps at Industrias Tecnos, S.A. de C.V. (Cuernavaca, Morelos; small-arms ammunition), a case that had reached the USMCA panel stage. The release does not say whether any liquidation measures have changed. USTR release, Nov. 2, 2026

Columbus, NM: highway washout stops inbound truck freight from Palomas

CBP's El Paso Field Office reports that at 9:08 a.m. MST on November 2, 2026, severe weather washed out part of Mexico Highway 2D south of the Columbus port of entry. Mexico's customs agency (ANAM) says the highway is impassable to inbound commercial traffic from Palomas and that no commercial traffic can cross the washout for a few days, or until an alternative road is found. Southbound commercial traffic into Mexico is not affected. The port remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for vehicles and pedestrians. A corrected notice (TIN 70345285, which replaces TIN 70342329) states that commercial processing hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The port can be reached at (575) 531-1365 or (575) 531-1366.

Other notices

Phosphate fertilizers from Morocco: CVD sunset review

In the first full sunset review of the CVD order on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco (C-714-001), Commerce found that revoking the order would likely lead to continued or renewed subsidization at 20.04% ad valorem for OCP S.A. and for all others. The notice applies from November 3, 2026. The USITC's injury determination in its own sunset review will decide whether the order continues. Current deposit rates do not change. 91 FR 69241, FR Doc. 2026-22435

CBP Client Representative Technical Assistance Portal (CRTAP) test

A CBP notice on Federal Register public inspection, scheduled for publication November 4, 2026, announces a voluntary test of CRTAP, a case-management portal for technical assistance requests to CBP client representatives. The test is open to brokers, self-filers, software providers, FTZ operators, AES users and AMS users, with no more than nine participants. It begins 30 days after publication and runs for 45 days. Applications go to [email protected]. The notice gives the application deadline both as within 30 days of publication and as until the test ends, and it spells the comment email domain two different ways. Confirm both with CBP. FR Doc. 2026-22501 (public inspection)

USITC: Section 337 complaint on imported shrimp

The USITC received a Section 337 complaint (Docket No. 3945, filed October 28, 2026) from Versaggi Shrimp Corp. and W&W Dock LLP about certain shrimp and products containing shrimp. The proposed respondents are Nekkanti Sea Foods Ltd. (India), Eastern Fish Company, ALDI entities, Ahold Delhaize entities and Meijer. The complainants want a limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist orders. Public-interest comments are due eight calendar days after the November 3 notice. This is only a complaint; the Commission has not yet decided whether to open an investigation. FR Doc. 2026-22378

Action items

• List your AGOA claims on goods of South Africa and Rwanda, and estimate the duty cost from January 1, 2027 at the rates that would otherwise apply. Watch for a proclamation, an HTSUS change and CBP guidance. USTR
• Softwood lumber: for exporters that do not have a superseding review rate, watch for Commerce's revised cash deposit instructions to CBP before changing deposit rates. FR Doc. 2026-22431
• If you buy boxes from Madobox (Uruapan), expect liquidation of those entries to be suspended, and track Mexico's 10-day and 45-day deadlines. USTR
• If you move northbound truck freight through Palomas–Columbus, reroute or reschedule it. Note the corrected commercial hours: 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday to Friday.
• Brokers and self-filers who want to join the CRTAP test should email CBP within the window that starts on publication (scheduled for Nov. 4). FR Doc. 2026-22501

FAQ

Original sources and dates

• USTR, Ambassador Greer statement on AGOA termination of Rwanda and South Africa, Nov. 2, 2026: ustr.gov
• Commerce/ITA, Softwood Lumber from Canada: Notice of NAFTA Panel Decision, 91 FR 69242, Nov. 3, 2026: FR Doc. 2026-22431
• Commerce/ITA, Phosphate Fertilizers from Morocco: Final Results of Full Sunset Review, 91 FR 69241, Nov. 3, 2026: FR Doc. 2026-22435
• USTR, RRM request on Madobox, Nov. 2, 2026: ustr.gov
• USTR, MOU at Industrias Tecnos, Nov. 2, 2026: ustr.gov
• CBP, CRTAP test notice, public inspection Nov. 3, 2026 (scheduled publication Nov. 4, 2026): FR Doc. 2026-22501
• USITC, Notice of Receipt of Complaint (shrimp), Nov. 3, 2026: FR Doc. 2026-22378