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.

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

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated surgeon and writer Martin Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration. The President-elect said Makary will be important “to course-correct and refocus the agency.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding owners and consignees of certain imported foods that they will be required to use accredited laboratories under the Laboratory Accreditation for Analysis of Foods (LAAF) program when conducting mycotoxins analyses beginning Dec. 1.

Unifor members of Council 4000 and Local 100 at Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) announced Nov. 25 that they voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action if an agreement is not be reached with the railroad management by Jan. 1.

Customs and Border Protection on Nov. 26 said an update will be made in the ACE Reports which involves removing reconciliation entry summaries that have been deleted in ACE from the Reconciliation data universe.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold its next Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 1-5 p.m. ET, in Washington, D.C.

NCBFAA joined 35 trade associations in a Nov. 21 letter to Congress urging the prioritization of legislative action to renew the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program before the end of the year.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently made validations to the Export Manifest Appendix J – Response Codes, which are currently available in Certification and Production for ocean transport.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the annual Customs Broker permit user fee due date for the 2025 calendar year is due Jan. 31, 2025. The permit user fee for the 2025 calendar year is $180.57.

The USDA Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) on Dec. 1 will begin implementing Phase VII of the Lacey Act provisions for certain imported plant and wood products. This means that the AL1 tariff flag will be added to approximately 450 HTS codes.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Nov. 22 added 29 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. This expansion brings the total to 107 entities identified for links to forced labor practices in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in a Nov. 21 Federal Register notice extended the compliance deadline for certain provisions of the Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility Rule from Jan. 16, 2025, to Jan. 16, 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 has recently launched a new webpage on the association’s website. The webpage allows members to read about the latest updates on NCBFAA’s international activities and our leadership’s attendance at important overseas industry events.

It’s not too early for you to register to attend the 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass April 6-9, 2025. In fact, the sooner the better for any NCBFAA member who plans to attend this most important industry event!

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), will adjust hours of operation for 38 ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S. northern border, beginning at midnight, Jan. 6.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminded customs brokers about the adjusted customs user fees and corresponding limitations established by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for Fiscal Year 2025, which took effect Oct. 1.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Nov. 19 provided the trade with updated guidance to the importer requirements to complete origin documents such as origin declarations, origin statements, and certifications of origin documents.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Nov. 23 will deploy a validation in ACE for certain temporary importation under bond (TIB) entries (type 23) for polyester staple fiber (PSF).