Monday Morning eBriefing

As a customs broker, are you processing import entries on products from China currently subject to tariffs? Did those products previously benefit from a tariff exclusion that expired in December 2020 and early 2021? This is your opportunity to make your case on behalf of your clients with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to have the tariff exclusion reinstated.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has taken steps to end the confusion over APHIS Lacey flagging of wood pallets/containers classified in HTS 4415.20.80.00.

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:

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome the following member who has recently joined our association:

Many NCBFAA officers, board of directors, committee leaders, and individual members have had the pleasure of working with Drenda Williams on membership development and conference operations during the past 13 years.

Vital to every U.S. customs broker’s business is the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). So, what is the status of the U.S. implementing the 2022 HTS changes? The NCBFAA Customs Committee reached out to our NCBFAA Legislative Counsel Nicole Bivens Collinson of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, PA for information on what needs to happen in the U.S. for the 2022 changes to be in force.

The NCBFAA Transportation Committee’s Logistics Subcommittee is regularly collecting data on the nation’s rail delays and port congestion that are impacting the supply chain and your business operations.

The House Natural Resources Committee has approved HR 3075, the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Act – legislation which expands the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to cover all imported seafood and to require detailed supply chain data electronically at entry. Sponsored by Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), the bipartisan bill will now go to the House floor for a vote.

NCBFAA has retained Nicole Bivens Collinson as Legislative Counsel, effective Oct. 15.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding the trade about the data requirements for the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) for food importers in a recent CSMS message #49761156. For each line entry of food offered for import into the U.S., customs brokers must provide specific details about the “FSVP Importer,” who may or may not be the Importer of Record. Instead, the FSVP importer is defined as:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its draft EDI implementation guide (IG) changes needed for ACE Import Ocean Manifest House Bill Release functionality here.

The Biden Administration on Oct. 13 met with business, port, and dock union leaders to discuss the challenges at the nation’s ports and what actions can be taken now to address the delays and congestion across the transportation supply chain.

The NCBFAA Transportation Committee’s Logistics Subcommittee is regularly collecting data on the nation’s rail delays and port congestion that are impacting the supply chain and your business operations.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome the following members who have recently joined our association:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has clarified its automated 2-way Messaging after an NCBFAA member discovered seemingly inconsistent procedures at a port where CPSC is not primarily located. The Commission explained that the trade will NOT receive CPSC’s regular automated “Under Review” and “May Proceed” messages if CPSC is not co-located at that port.

Due to the AL2 PGA flag for HTS No. 4415.20.8000, many NCBFAA member firms have been forced to "trick" their brokerage systems into allowing the transmission of a "B" disclaimer for used pallets and (new and used) pallets under load.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Oct. 12 will begin seeking comments from the trade on whether to reinstate numerous product imports that were formerly subject to Section 301 product exclusions.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Federal Register notice on Oct. 6 that it intends to initiate a Global Business Identifier (GBI) Evaluative Proof of Concept (EPoC).

In a letter to the House Natural Resources Committee leadership, NCBFAA President Jan Fields expressed customs broker concerns with H.R. 3075 – legislation to significantly expand the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, calling the proposed requirement for complete supply chain data at entry “wildly unrealistic.”

The NCBFAA Transportation Committee’s Logistics Subcommittee is regularly collecting data on the nation’s rail delays and port congestion that are impacting the supply chain and your business operations.