Trump Trade Enforcement Steps Up as Imports Get More Scrutiny

The Trump administration’s long-anticipated trade crackdown is ramping up.

Trade attorneys say Customs officials are being tougher on issues like small penalties and timeline extensions while importers are receiving requests for information that can be a precursor to bigger investigations. And they expect next year to bring bigger enforcement cases based on the tariffs President Donald Trump has put in place since the start of his second term.

The moves reinforce Trump’s mandate to make strict trade enforcement a top priority. US Customs and Border Protection has been positioning itself for the enforcement push—including announcing a new task force in ...