Monday Morning eBriefing

It was one year ago this week that the Customs Business Fairness Act (CBFA) was included in the December 2020 stimulus package. This gave customs brokers much needed relief from the 90-day claw back when an importer files bankruptcy.

New requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for bulk hydrofluorocarbon imports took effect Jan. 1. The final rule requires importers of bulk HFC products to have a “consumption” allowance.

The Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division on Jan. 3 released its 2022 Automated Export System (AES) Concordance (Commodity Classification Files) for available use.

Forwarders spend a good deal of energy explaining export compliance responsibilities to the less educated exporters, only to hear that “you are the only forwarder who is asking me for this information.” The association, in response, provides members an NCBFAA branded USPPI Responsibility Information Sheet as a tool that can be forwarded to or handed out to your export customers.

NCBFAA members have expressed interest in the NEI becoming an IATA-accredited “training school” that offers dangerous goods certification. There is a significant financial and structural investment involved in acquiring IATA accreditation.

The NCBFAA Export Compliance Sub-Committee has recently completed a thorough review of the SLI model and has updated it to reflect certain regulatory changes.

January’s trending topics on Guidance on HR, Business Management and Operational Risk brought to you by Paychex:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to resolve a programming glitch that prevents customs brokers from receiving an SO Message following receipt of a Form 354 (conditional release for exam form) in the ACE Portal.

NCBFAA is gathering data on the total cost for freight movement in the current air cargo environment and needs association members to share their input through this survey, so that we can meet our collective goal to properly inform the Biden administration and our nation’s lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the pain-points in this vital component of the international supply chain.

The ports of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach continue to postpone their “Container Dwell Fee,” this time until Jan. 10. The fee was previously set to take effect on Monday, Jan. 3.

Here is 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 announces the association has invited Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus to address its upcoming Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will deploy two changes in ACE on Jan. 15, as described in the following CSMS Messages:

Some of you may occasionally receive questionable electronic communications which are believed to be part of phishing schemes. Always ignore and delete these communications!

Forwarders spend a good deal of energy explaining export compliance responsibilities to the less educated exporters, only to hear that “you are the only forwarder who is asking me for this information.” The association, in response, provides members an NCBFAA branded USPPI Responsibility Information Sheet as a tool that can be forwarded to or handed out to your export customers.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2119 on Dec. 28, which contains 284 ABI records and 71 Harmonized Tariff Records.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Dec. 27 published guidance on the Commerce Department’s Dec. 9 interim final rule revoking 30 previously granted Section 232 General Approved Exclusions (GAEs).

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Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced its transition to upgraded versions of certain data universes in ACE Reports on Jan. 20. These upgraded data universes all currently have the suffix of “New” in their name to make them easily identifiable. This transition will involve the replacement of the data universes on the left-hand side of the below list with the universes on the right-hand side of the list.

Here is a summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable: