NMFS May 'Work With' Importers to Avoid Disruption as New Seafood Data Requirements Take Effect Jan. 1
The National Marine Fisheries Service is currently “grappling” with whether the trade community is ready for new ACE filing requirements for high-risk seafood under its Seafood Import Monitoring Program, said Dale Jones, an NMFS fishery program specialist, at CBP’s East…
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Coast Trade Symposium on Dec. 6. The December 2016 final rule will still go into effect on Jan. 1, but NMFS does not want to hold up trade, so there may be some way the agency can “work diligently” with affected importers to help them through the transition, he said. “We might hit some turbulence.” The new data requirements will initially apply to imports of Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, blue crab, red king crab, dolphinfish (mahi mahi), grouper, red snapper, sea cucumber, sharks, swordfish, and albacore, bigeye, bluefin, skipjack and yellowfin tuna, with requirements also eventually planned for shrimp and abalone. The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America recently called on NMFS to adopt a “soft compliance” policy, citing readiness concerns (see 1712040022).