Monday Morning eBriefing

A summary of the latest customs and cross-border trade regulatory updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Customs Counsel firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is automating the submission method for Organization Broker License Applications. Starting Sept. 30, organization license applicants will complete and submit all applications and associated fees through the eCBP portal. Organization license applications that are hand-delivered, mailed, or emailed on or after Sept. 30, 2026, will be returned to the applicant for submission through the eCBP portal, the agency said.

More than 200 national and state-level trade associations, including NCBFAA, on Sept. 23 asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a letter to continue the current suspension of the Section 301 vessel fees related to China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for another year. The request was at the start of the summit on Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C., between President Trump and China’s President Xi. USTR suspended these fees for one year starting Nov. 10, 2025, following the agreement with China announced last November, with the suspension currently scheduled to expire on Nov. 9, 2026.

A summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

NCBFAA submitted comments to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) urging the agency to streamline how it administers the import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), focusing resources on high-risk fisheries while easing burdens on lawful seafood trade. The comments, dated Sept. 25 and signed by NCBFAA President Karen Damon, respond to NMFS' July 29, 2026, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which launched a comprehensive review of the program.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome DNA Logistics Group, Eagle Van Lines, EM International Freight, FreightSuite, and Sefer, which have recently joined our association. We're so excited to have these firms join our organization and we are happy to assist in any way we can!

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is modernizing the ACE ocean, rail, and air manifest systems over several releases. The third release of this enhancement (INT-062) includes a technical migration of back-end functionality for the Ocean mode of transportation. It will not directly affect the ACE user experience or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) behavior.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will conduct an ACE Electronic Export Manifest (EEM) for Truck Cargo Test and is accepting applications from interested parties. The ACE EEM for Truck Cargo Test is a voluntary test in which truck export participants agree to the submission of certain limited export manifest data electronically at least 24 hours prior to departure from the U.S. to a foreign destination.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) provided the trade in a Federal Register notice on Sept. 21 with guidance and procedures for implementing tariff adjustments for specialty pharmaceuticals and associated pharmaceutical ingredients and technical corrections to the HTSUS for duties imposed under presidential Proclamation 11020 from April 2, 2026. The tariff adjustments for these specialty pharmaceutical imports become effective at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sept. 29.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published its quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties will remain the same from the previous quarter, effective Oct. 1.

Customs and Border Protection reminded U.S. licensed customs brokers to complete the mandatory 20 hours of Broker Continuing Education (CE) by no later than Jan. 31, 2027. Failure to satisfy these requirements will result in the revocation of your customs broker license, the agency said.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has published its Guide to Importing Commercial Goods into Canada, an updated online resource designed to help businesses understand and navigate the commercial importing process in Canada. CBSA said the guide is designed to assist Canadian importers and customs brokers with properly declaring imports, calculating duties and taxes, and releasing goods through CBSA into the country.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminded U.S. customs brokers on Sept. 21 that the agency is adjusting certain customs user fees and corresponding limitations established by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for Fiscal Year 2027, effective Oct. 1. The Customs Broker Permit User Fee will change from $185.38 to $190.88.

Customs and Border Protection today, Sept. 22, provided guidance to the trade regarding the Commerce Department’s Temporary Final Rule (TFR) on Measures to Restrict Stockpiling of Polysilicon and Polysilicon Derivatives Under Proclamation 11052. The Commerce Department on Sept. 24 published a TFR providing for procedures for an import ban on certain imports of polysilicon products.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has provided guidance to the trade regarding the amendment of Section 301 China product exclusions to conform with certain changes to the HTSUS. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Sept. 2 published Federal Register Notice (FRN) 91 FR 56538 making conforming amendments to four product exclusions. This amendment is to conform with changes to ten-digit statistical reporting categories of the HTSUS effective July 1, 2026.

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) has provided customs broker members with a roundup of the latest updates on Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) eFiling issues.

The House passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, on Sept. 14 in a voice vote. The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to work together on a field test kit that can identify seafood's country of origin. The agencies are also told to work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard.

A summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome George H Matthes dba GHMatthes CHB, Hermes International Movers Corp., NDA Logistics Corp., Sou-Tier Inc., dba Robert F Barnes CHB, Unity Customs Brokers, and Valls International (Houston), which have recently joined our association. We're so excited to have these firms join our organization and we are happy to assist in any way we can!

The 2026 NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 27-29, is almost here. Each year, NCBFAA members from across the country gather in the nation’s capital at the GAC to learn about timely and critical industry changes influenced by Capitol Hill lawmakers, the White House, and federal regulators. Now more than ever, it is important for our Congressional Members to understand how our industry is being impacted by the current trade policy and agenda. Specifically, meeting with elected officials helps ensure they understand the implications of any trade-related legislation placed before them. By participating in the GAC, NCBFAA members can effectively shape and grow our industry.