Dear Valued NCBFAA Member,
These are unprecedented times for the U.S. customs brokerage and freight forwarding industry, with continuously changing tariffs, the recent end of de minimis, and now a government shutdown, effective at 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 1. I am truly proud to be a part of an industry that has met each of these challenges head on, and will continue to do so, without hesitation, and with a focus on utmost compliance for our nation’s importers and exporters. None of this has been easy, to say the least. It has made our jobs as customs brokers and freight forwarders a nearly 24-hour/seven-day-a-week occupation just to keep up with the changes. There is not a customs broker or forwarder among us who is immune from what is currently happening in cross-border trade. The NCBFAA’s Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; Transportation Committee and Counsel of Venable, LLP, and Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) and Counsel Cindy Thomas have done their very best to keep our membership informed of the latest trade deals and regulations, as well as CBP guidance when it’s made available by the agency. We will continue to ensure that our customs broker and forwarder members are the best informed in our industry!
Our sold-out NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7-9 was an unequivocal success this year. Attendees, especially many first timers, told me how much they appreciated the content of the conference sessions and the day spent on Capitol Hill communicating our industry positions to lawmakers and their staff. NCBFAA Officers and Committee Chairs also held side meetings during and immediately following the conference with officials from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the Commerce and Treasury Departments, as well as key Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), to let them know our positions on trade regulations. On Capitol Hill, our members, with guidance from our NCBFAA Legislative Committee and Advisor of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., met with numerous lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties. We discussed with them our key legislative positions regarding tariff advance notice and transparency, FDA extended hours at high volume commercial land-border ports, funding for CBP’s ACE and support for trade modernization, and support for funding air cargo facilities and operations based on the GAO Report to Congress.
While the NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel are highly focused on the impact of tariffs on our customs brokerage industry, they have stayed razor focused on regulatory and procedural updates from CBP. The NCBFAA Transportation Committee and Counsel have continued to monitor the planned implementation of the U.S. government’s fee on Chinese-owned or operated vessels arriving at U.S. ports starting Oct. 14, and the latest developments at the FMC, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and Census Bureau. Lastly, the NCBFAA RAC and Counsel continue their routine outreach to PGAs, such as APHIS, CPSC, and FDA, to name a few, to engage them regarding regulations that impact cross-border trade. On behalf of the NCBFAA Officers and Board of Directors, I truly appreciate the tireless efforts made every day by our Committee and Subcommittee Leaders, as well as Counsels, to ensure that our now more than 1,400 member companies not only understand but comply in the most competent manner with our nation’s cross-border trade regulations.
We also continue the collaborative work with our trade association partners across North America, including the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSBA), Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA), and Confederación de Agentes Aduanales de la República Mexicana (CAAAREM), particularly with the ongoing government reviews of USMCA. Collectively we need our voices to be heard by the government negotiators for these three closely intwined trading partners. NCBFAA Officers attended the insightful CSCB National Conference at Prince Edward Island, Canada, on Sept. 21-23. In addition to conversing amongst ourselves through the North American Customs Brokers Alliance (NACBA), we believe it is important for us to have our NCBFAA Officers attend their respective meetings. Our industry is much stronger and better when we are working together!
As your NCBFAA President, I am always interested and available to listen to your ideas, as well as concerns. Our association remains committed to improving and advancing the professionalism and value of our customs broker, freight forwarder, and NVOCC industry. I continue to urge each of you to be involved our association and take advantage of the many member benefits available to you!
Sincerely yours,
Jose D. Gonzalez
Jose D. Gonzalez
NCBFAA President
