Monday Morning eBriefing

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 22 published its final rule requiring continuing education for individual customs broker license holders and the framework for administering this requirement. The rule becomes effective July 24.

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) is pleased that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has succeeded in obtaining new tariff breakouts in the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) for a long list of organic products. The tariff changes take effect July 1.

NCBFAA President Jose D. “JD” Gonzalez and Regulatory Agency Committee (RAC) leaders met with Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services (APHIS) officials to discuss the requirements for Mexican shipments of pork products transiting the U.S. to Canada.

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminded filers to ensure that proper steps are followed when changing a Port of Entry after ACE data is transmitted.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) on June 14 introduced the De Minimis Reciprocity Act of 2023 to stop China and other countries from “abusing U.S. trade laws that allow small dollar imports into the U.S. duty free.”

As of Friday, June 16, the Senate has reportedly put the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 process on hold, and for now the amendment process has not been reopened.

While NCBFAA member outreach to Members of Congress in recent months has netted significant support for the Customs Business Fairness Act (H.R. 1453), the summer is no time for the association to rest if we are going to achieve our long-sought goal to make this important legislation to our industry permanent in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in 2023.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) on June 14 reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The deal was reached with assistance from Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su.

CBP will reduce the number of continuing education credits required for the first triennial reporting period beginning in February 2024 under its upcoming final rule on continuing education requirements for customs brokers, CBP acting Commissioner Troy Miller said in opening remarks at the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee meeting on June 14.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 13 published an updated fact sheet for how customs broker permit reporting should occur in the Modernized ACE.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 14 issued Fact Sheet: Provision of Humanitarian Assistance and Trade to Combat COVID-19 to provide guidance on OFAC’s exemptions, exceptions, and authorizations for humanitarian assistance for and trade with Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and Russia.

The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reminds customs brokers and other members of the importing community that an APHIS Core Message Set for clearance must be filed BEFORE moving cargo to a Plant Inspection Station (PIS) for inspection. Failure to do so will result in cargo delays.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to publish the latest 484(f) changes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) on July 1.

The U.S. Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, and Treasury on June 9 issued a joint advisory with guidance to help prevent U.S. items and technology from being used in Iran’s development and proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

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 invited Acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller to be our keynote luncheon speaker during the 2023 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill Sept. 10-12.

A Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) issued by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on June 12 proposes how the agency would implement the prohibition on common carriers unreasonably refusing available cargo space to shippers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on June 16 published a notification of final regulatory guidance to inform regulated entities about the agency’s interpretation of the definitions of “broker” and “bona fide agents” as it related to all brokers of transportation by truck.

The CBP Staffing Coalition, of which NCBFAA is a member, sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chair Gary Peters and Ranking Member Rand Paul on June 12 emphasizing “strong support” for S. 1253, the Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act, which would increase the authorized number of CBP officers by 600 annually to help the agency meet its current and future staffing needs.