Trade Industry Groups Tout PROTECT Act Ahead of Customs Conference
The House-preferred measure to address CBP’s strategy on duty evasion, the PROTECT Act, should serve as the “bedrock” of Customs Reauthorization this Congress, said trade associations including customs brokers, retailers, and importers in a recent letter to Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La. (here). Boustany introduced the legislation in past sessions of Congress (see 12121035).
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The legislation is now part of the House customs package (see 1506040066). “The PROTECT Act builds on existing government strengths and expertise by enhancing the Department of Commerce’s authority to investigate these illegal actions,” said the letter, signed by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, the National Retail Federation and others. “Unlike other legislation, the PROTECT Act’s provisions wisely promote effective enforcement without conceiving of new bureaucratic processes that are confusing, unfair, or serve to decrease incentives to public-private partnerships on trade.”
Customs Reauthorization is headed for bicameral negotiations after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., scheduled a vote to move toward legislative conference on June 23 (see 1506230020). The conference process likely reconcile the differences between the PROTECT Act and the Senate-approved ENFORCE Act (see 1506150012). Republican leadership in both chambers have urged conferees to quickly strike a deal on a compromise bill.