Monday Morning eBriefing

Effective March 3, the Census Bureau will implement the use of a fillable form for the submission of Voluntary Self Disclosures (VSDs). The intent of the form is to streamline the process.

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) recently met with Customs and Border Protection (CBP)-Agriculture officials to discuss growing concerns about the performance of Ag officers at the port of Norfolk.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released an updated ACE Cargo Release CATAIR, Draft ACE Cargo Release CATAIR, and ACE Cargo Release Condition Codes documents to the agency website.

“As we begin a new era of increased professionalism and recognition of the vital role that we play in our nation’s economic prosperity and security, I want to make you aware of a few important things related to your continuing education,” said NEI Executive Vice President Cynthia Whittenburg.

Our industry-leading 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on April 6-9 offers more than just three days of insightful conference programming. There are also amazing extra-curricular events for your consideration upon registering, such as the Golf Outing, Horseback Riding experience and the Poker Tournament on Sunday, April 6. All these events are near capacity, so register as soon as possible to secure your place.

Registration for the April 23, 2025, Customs Broker License Exam (CBLE) will open Monday, Feb. 10, at 12:01 a.m. ET and close Wednesday, March 12, at 4:30 p.m. ET, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced in a Jan. 27 CSMS.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is now soliciting a Centralized Examination Station (CES) in the Port of Buffalo in Western New York. Applications for the CES will be accepted for 60 days beginning Jan. 27 through March 27.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that refinements to the EPA Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) program will be deployed in CBP’s Production environment on Feb. 22. It is currently available in CBP’s Certification environment.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is temporarily delaying the effective date of the new user fee structure for Section 8(e) inspections, which was previously due to take effect Jan. 29. The new effective date is March 20.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Barnes Global Trade, Ligentia USA, and Logineer USA, 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!

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

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

The NCBFAA Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee Leaders held productive quarterly meetings in Atlanta on Jan. 24-26, during which they reviewed recent regulatory and legislative actions by the association, as well as considered strategies for potential tariffs and other trade disruptions anticipated with the Trump Administration.

The Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association (LACBFFA) now offers customs brokers and freight forwarders who meet certain criteria for regular membership a subscription to its industry notifications, including information regarding LACBFFA workshops, classes, conferences, and other activities.

The U.S. Senate on Saturday, Jan. 25, approved the nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by a vote of 59-34. She was then immediately sworn into the position by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

NCBFAA is proud to acknowledge the recent formation of Mid-South Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (MSCBFA). The affiliate association, which is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, will represent industry members in the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

The industry-leading 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on April 6-9 would not be possible without the generous support of our numerous sponsors. Their contributions ensure that our Annual Conferences are always a most pleasant experience for attendees.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin collecting additional required data elements in ACE for merchandise subject to sanctions on Russian diamonds and seafood. Submission of the new data elements will become mandatory in April.

An NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) member reached out to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to ask about shipments on the water when APHIS regulations change, particularly regarding the Jan. 13 notice about the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions on certain agricultural products from Germany.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Jan. 28 deployed the following ACE Cargo Release Certification (CERT) environment: Cargo Sanctions, Updated Requirements for GBI Enrollment, and GBI Party Type Description. ACE Entry Summary will deploy GBI Party Type Description and Cargo Sanctions.