Monday Morning eBriefing

At the request of NCBFAA's Customs Committee and Customs Counsel, CBP now has posted contact information for its Broker Management Officers (BMOs) across the country. The list can be found here.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on May 26 passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 by a vote of 20-0. The bi-partisan bill will now head to the full Senate for consideration. NCBFAA's Legislative Counsel Whitmer & Worrall highlighted the following provisions that are important to the association's membership:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on May 19 updated its list of restricted medical supplies and equipment for export in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

The demand for pets soared during the pandemic, triggering increased imports of dogs into the U.S. As a result, customs brokers have found themselves frequently processing imports of dogs. For many, the requirements are unfamiliar and often confusing.

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) is closely watching legislation that proposes a sweeping expansion of the SIMP (Seafood Import Monitoring Program). Introduced on May 11 by Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Garrett Graves (R-LA), the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R. 3075) seeks to add even more supply chain data to be transmitted at the time of entry. Provisions of the legislation include:

NCBFAA recently surveyed importers and exporters about their thoughts on our industry, the anticipated future of our relationships, where customs brokers add value, and how our members can keep providing invaluable service to their clients now and in the future.

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:

A controversial California law, known as AB-5, would make it illegal for most industries, such as trucking, to hire independent contractors of those contractors perform tasks that the company does in the normal course of business.

Shippers, including freight forwarders and NVOCCs, interested in providing their expertise to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) will soon be able to apply to serve on the agency's new National Shipper Advisory Committee.

NOAA Fisheries on May 21 released its Report on Initial implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program.

Today's golf clubs are generally made of prefabricated components consisting of a head, shaft, and grip. Recently, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in CSMS #47830638 advised the trade how to enter golf clubs when manufactured and assembled in multiple countries with Chinese-originating components subject to Section 301 duties.

The Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) recently received several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information related to FWS-regulated imports and exports provided by importers and exporters on Form 3-177 between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2020. FWS is notifying the trade community that businesses have until June 1, 2021, to file an objection to the request.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) on May 18 introduced a bill to re-instate the lapsed Generalized System of Preferences with new labor and environment conditions.

Chris Magnus, currently chief of the Tucson Police Department in Arizona, has been nominated by the Biden Administration to service as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

In back-to-back hearings on May 12-13, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testified before the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, respectively, on President Biden's 2021 Trade Policy Agenda.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plant inspection stations (PIS) remind filers that Entry Status Notifications (SO70) are sent through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for cargo destined to a PIS. Filers will first receive an APHIS automated "may proceed" notification followed by either a request to correct or update their APHIS Core message sets, as necessary.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened a new portal for food importers to submit their Food Supply Verification Program (FSVP) documents. The FSVP requires importers who are designated as FSVP importers to conduct activities to verify that their foreign suppliers are producing food in accordance with U.S. food safety standards. When requested in writing by the FDA, FSVP importers must provide FSVP records to the agency electronically. The new portal is meant to facilitate this process.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on May 12 formerly asked the Mexican government to review whether workers at a General Motors plant in the country are being denied the right of free association and collective bargaining.

NCBFAA is aware that there have been issues for customs brokers with the eCBP Portal in properly reporting their triennial report and paying the $100 permit fee to Customs and Border Protection.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted its most recent schedule for ACE functionality development and deployment this year.