Customs enforcement is being tightened — what's directed, and what's in force today
On June 3, 2026 the President signed Executive Order 14411, "Strengthening Customs Enforcement" (91 FR 35125). It is a directive to the Department of Homeland Security, not a self-executing law. Nothing in it changes the rules at the border today; it sets deadlines for the agency to write new rules and policies. Here is what each part directs, and when the directed action is due.
What this order is
Executive Order 14411 instructs DHS to strengthen how customs rules are enforced. The order itself does not impose new penalties, seizures, or importer requirements. Each provision directs the agency to act by a deadline, after which rulemaking or policy revision must still take place before anything takes effect. The dates below are deadlines for that directed action — not dates on which a new rule goes live.
What it directs
- Stronger seizure and disposal of non-compliant imports. The order directs DHS, by about September 1, 2026, to expedite the seizure and disposal of shipments that violate the rules, including by making fuller use of forfeiture authority that already exists in law (the order directs DHS to use that authority more aggressively; it does not itself expand seizures today). Status as of this advisory: directed, not yet in force.
- A higher floor for penalties. The order directs DHS, by about September 1, 2026, to revise its penalty-mitigation standards to set a minimum penalty for violations — with an exception for exceptional circumstances that materially affect national security. Status: directed, not yet in force.
- Tighter rules for importers of record. The importer of record is the party legally responsible for a shipment's customs entry. The order directs DHS, by about November 30, 2026, to revise importer-eligibility rules — including barring foreign importers of record from using informal entry (the simplified, lower-value customs process), setting bond and supply-chain-security (CTPAT) requirements, and applying risk-based tiers to importers. This requires new rulemaking. Status: directed, not yet in force.
What this means for you now
For now, nothing here changes how your shipments are handled. These are directions to the agency with future deadlines, and the resulting rules — their final form, scope, and timing — have not been issued. We will update this advisory as provisions move from directed to in force.
Status verified as of June 20, 2026. Portigo re-checks these provisions before launch and will revise this advisory if any has become operative.
This situation is changing. Portigo surfaces the status as of the date shown and does not give legal or compliance advice. Confirm specifics with CBP or a licensed customs broker.