DOJ Creates Fraud Division; USTR Opens China WTO Compliance Comment Period

DOJ Establishes National Fraud Enforcement Division

The Department of Justice has issued a final rule, effective August 24, 2026, amending Part 0 of its organizational regulations at 28 CFR 0 to formally establish the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division) and set forth its authorities. The rule traces the Fraud Division's origins to a memorandum from the Acting Attorney General dated April 7, 2026, directing creation of the unit as part of what the document describes as "a revamped, comprehensive approach to investigating and prosecuting fraud against taxpayer dollars and taxpayer-funded programs."

The rule describes the Fraud Division's mission as investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people, with the document stating that "at the core of this mission is a mandate to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars." The document explains that the Fraud Division fulfills its mission by using advanced, data-driven investigative techniques; coordinating with agencies that administer taxpayer-funded programs; partnering with Federal, Tribal, State, territorial, and local law enforcement; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with what the rule calls "state-of-the-art tools and resources."

The rule creates a new subpart M, composed of §§ 0.70 and 0.71, which sets forth the Fraud Division's general functions and authorities. Under § 0.70, the Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division is assigned authority over: criminal proceedings involving criminal frauds (except cases assigned to the Antitrust Division); criminal proceedings under the internal revenue laws; criminal proceedings relating to trade fraud matters, including the importation of goods and customs duties; criminal proceedings involving monies owed to or paid by the United States; criminal proceedings involving fraud or abuse with respect to health plans; and criminal proceedings related to health care fraud and controlled substances distribution and diversion schemes. The rule also grants the Fraud Division authority under § 0.70(i) to bring actions for injunctions against fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1345, obtain restitution, seize or forfeit property, recover forfeitures or damages, enforce compliance with final judgments, and impose penalties. As a conforming measure, the rule amends § 0.55 to carve out from the Criminal Division's existing authorities those fraud cases now specifically assigned to the new Fraud Division.

USTR Solicits Public Comments on China's WTO Compliance

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has published a request for public comments and a notice of public hearing to assist in preparing its annual report to Congress on China's compliance with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations. The document states that China became a WTO Member on December 11, 2001, and that section 421 of the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-286) requires USTR to submit annually a report to Congress covering both multilateral commitments and any bilateral commitments China made to the United States in connection with its accession.

Written comments, requests to testify, and written testimony are all due by September 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, submitted via Regulations.gov using Docket Number USTR-2026-0496. USTR will then convene a public hearing on September 30, 2026. The notice states that oral remarks at the hearing will be limited to no more than five minutes to allow for possible questions from the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), and that because it is a public hearing, testimony should not include any business confidential information. The notice identifies the following topic areas for comment: trading rights; import regulation (including tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, quotas, and import licenses); export regulation; internal policies affecting trade (including subsidies, standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, government procurement, and trade-related investment measures); intellectual property rights and their enforcement; services; rule of law issues (including transparency, judicial review, and uniform administration of laws); and other WTO commitments. USTR additionally requests that interested persons specifically identify unresolved compliance issues that warrant review and evaluation. Small businesses, generally defined by the Small Business Administration as firms with fewer than 500 employees, are asked to self-identify as such when submitting comments.

State Department Prepares for IMO Cargo and Containers Session

The Department of State will hold a public meeting at 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, both in-person at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, and by teleconference through Microsoft Teams, to prepare U.S. positions for the twelfth session of the International Maritime Organization's Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 12). CCC 12 is scheduled to be held at IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom from Monday, September 14, 2026, to Friday, September 18, 2026.

Among the agenda items for CCC 12 listed in the notice are: amendments to the IGF Code and development of guidelines for alternative fuels and related technologies; development of a safety regulatory framework to support the reduction of GHG emissions from ships using new technologies and alternative fuels; amendments to the IMSBC Code and supplements; amendments to the IMDG Code and supplements; revision of the Revised guidelines for the preparation of the Cargo Securing Manual (MSC.1/Circ.1353/Rev.2) to include a harmonized performance standard for lashing software; and consideration of reports of incidents involving dangerous goods or marine pollutants in packaged form on board ships or in port areas. The teleconference line can handle 500 participants. The RSVP deadline to participate is August 19, 2026, with RSVPs directed to LCDR Eva McNell of the Hazardous Materials Division (CG-ENG-5).

Federal Maritime Commission: Shipping Agreement Amendments

The Federal Maritime Commission has given notice of two agreement amendments filed under the Shipping Act of 1984. The first, Agreement No. 010761-002 (Somers Isles Shipping Agreement), involves parties Bermuda Container Line Ltd., Bermuda International Shipping Limited, and Somers Isles Shipping Limited; the amendment updates the corporate address of Somers Isles Shipping Limited and removes authority for the use of common marshalling, terminal and other cargo-handling facilities under Article 5(b)(6), with a proposed effective date of August 12, 2026. The second, Agreement No. 201353-003, renames what was the THE Alliance/Evergreen Vessel Sharing Agreement to the Premier Alliance/Evergreen Vessel Sharing Agreement and deletes Hapag-Lloyd AG as a party; its parties are HMM Company Limited, Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd., Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and Yang Ming Joint Service Agreement (FMC No. 201392), with a proposed effective date of August 13, 2026. The Commission notes that comments are most helpful if received within 12 days of the notice's publication, and requests comments within 7 days on agreements that seek expedited review.

Ex-Im Bank Seeks Comment on Working Capital Guarantee Claim Form

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is seeking public comment, through October 19, 2026, on a proposed information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: Form EIB 10-04, Notice of Claim and Proof of Loss, Working Capital Guarantee (OMB Number 3048-0035). The document explains that under the Working Capital Guarantee Program, Ex-Im Bank provides repayment guarantees to lenders on secured, short-term working capital loans made to qualified exporters, and that the guarantee may be approved for a single loan or a revolving line of credit. The notice states that this form is used when a borrower defaults on a transaction guaranteed by Ex-Im Bank and the guaranteed lender seeks payment, and that it is used to determine compliance with the terms of the guarantee and the appropriateness of paying a claim. The document describes the affected public as entities involved in the export of U.S. goods and services, with an annual number of respondents of 10, an estimated time per respondent of 6 hours, and annual burden hours of 60 hours. Ex-Im Bank customers submit this form electronically.

What to Watch

• August 19, 2026 — Deadline to RSVP for the State Department's public meeting on IMO CCC 12, and deadline to request reasonable accommodation for that meeting.
• August 24, 2026 — DOJ National Fraud Enforcement Division final rule takes effect.
• September 2, 2026 — State Department public meeting (in-person and teleconference) to prepare for IMO CCC 12.
• September 14–18, 2026 — IMO CCC 12 session at IMO Headquarters, London.
• September 17, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EDT — Deadline for USTR written comments, hearing appearance requests, and written testimony on China's WTO compliance (Docket No. USTR-2026-0496).
• September 30, 2026 — USTR public hearing on China's WTO compliance.
• October 19, 2026 — Deadline for comments on Ex-Im Bank Form EIB 10-04 information collection.

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