Abu Dhabi’s customs authority recently introduced a series of measures to help importers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a June 8 Hong Kong Trade Development Council report said. The incentive package allows importers to defer customs duties for 90 days from the date of their customs statement, and provides “pre‑clearance services” for imports through the agency’s “customs online operations system,” which is expected to save importers time and money. The agency will also offer “self-clearance services,” allowing companies to clear cargo “without the need for intermediary customs brokers.” Certain firms may also issue a customs warehouse license without paying license fees, and deposit and withdraw goods from warehouses without paying service fees, the report said.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for June 1-5 in case they were missed.
CBP released its long-awaited proposal to update customs broker regulations. Among other changes, CBP proposes to “update the responsible supervision and control oversight framework, ensure that customs business is conducted within the United States, and require that the customs broker have direct communication with the importer.” The regulatory changes were under government review for years (see 1804110024) following lengthy discussions about the updates (see 1510210017).
CBP released its long-awaited proposal to update customs broker regulations. Among other changes CBP proposes to "update the responsible supervision and control oversight framework, ensure that customs business is conducted within the United States, and require that the customs broker have direct communication with the importer." Broker license application fees would also be increased under the proposal.
Singapore will update its “Strategic Goods (Control) Regulations,” including changes to record-keeping requirements, brokering activities, certain technology transfers and more, Singapore Customs said in a June 1 notice. The changes take effect Aug. 3.
Even as COVID-19 delays some advances in trade facilitation -- such as being able to use a single window to export into Canada -- the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has good news for it, panelists said during a Dickinson Wright webinar May 28.
Even as COVID-19 delays some advances in trade facilitation -- such as being able to use a single window to export into Canada -- the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has good news for it, panelists said during a Dickinson Wright webinar May 28.
A Texas man pleaded guilty to involvement in a scheme to illegally export 17 million cigarettes to Mexico, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said May 26. The cigarettes originated from a warehouse controlled and operated by Jose Francisco Guerra, who authorities later discovered owned a second warehouse with contraband cigarettes. The warehouses contained nearly 423 million contraband cigarettes destined for export to Mexico, ICE said. Authorities uncovered the scheme when they stopped a tractor trailer heading to Mexico with the cigarettes and a falsified shipping manifest, ICE said. The cigarettes on the truck also did not have “the applicable tax stamp” required by Texas law. As part of his plea, Guerra agreed to forfeit his customs broker license and various equipment and assets. The total value of the seized equipment and assets was about $88 million, ICE said. Guerra faces up to 10 years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine.
Many details needed for the uniform regulations and the final implementing instructions for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement remain under discussion, agency officials said on May 14. Many specifics have not been agreed to, either between Mexico, Canada and the U.S., between the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the auto industry, or between CBP and USTR. “There's still even discussions with USTR and the [auto] industry on what constitutes a core part,” Maya Kumar, director for textiles and trade agreements, told members of the trade community on a conference call.
CBP mistakenly listed six customs brokers as having their licenses revoked due to a failure to file a 2018 triennial report (see 1902190028), it said in a notice. “This correction is being issued to identify the customs brokers whose licenses were erroneously identified as revoked,” it said. “CBP has corrected its records to reflect that the licenses were not revoked.”