Mexico is again allowing more time for importers to comply with new certificate of compliance requirements for some Mexican product standards at the time of entry, the Latin American Confederation of Customs Brokers said in a recent circular. An additional 15 days have been added to a grace period that ended Aug. 12 for importers to obtain a certificate of compliance from a recognized certification body. Until the time period expires, importers that have not yet obtained the certificate may continue their current operations unchanged, as long as they submitted their request to the certification body by May 31 and include a receipt number for the request in their entry documentation. Mexico is granting the extension because of the volume of requests that have been submitted and are still pending the conformity evaluation process, the circular said.
CBP is moving the fall 2019 customs broker license examination to Oct. 17, it said in a notice. Originally scheduled for Oct. 23, the exam is being moved up “due to an unforeseen impediment to optimal conditions for administering the test,” CBP said.
CBP on Aug. 13 released a pre-publication version of a new proposed rule setting new importer identity verification requirements for customs brokers. Set for publication the following day, the proposal would create minimum standards for what information brokers have to collect from their clients, as well as requirements to verify and maintain records on that information.
CBP is issuing a proposed rule that would set minimum requirements for customs brokers to collect and verify information on their importer clients. Under the proposal, CBP would require brokers to collect certain information from their clients at the time they obtain power of attorney (POA), and then verify that information and retain records on the information and verification activities. Importer information and verification would have to be updated annually. Comments on the proposed rule are due Oct. 14.
CBP is issuing a notice formally announcing the beginning of a pilot to test a new type of informal entry in ACE for low-value shipments. New entry type 86 will allow importers of goods valued under the $800 de minimis level to file a less complex entry, including for goods subject to partner government agency (PGA) requirements, “and will expedite the clearance of compliant Section 321 low-valued shipments,” CBP said. The test will begin “no earlier than,” Sept. 28.
The lack of information provided to the government for low-value shipments is a major impediment to stopping imports of counterfeit goods, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America told the Commerce Department in a July 29 filing. The comments were filed in response to Commerce's request for input on the subject as it prepares a report for the president (see 1907080030). "For de minimis shipments valued at $800 or less, CBP clears shipments by processing data from manifests, which provides only limited data and does not include the information most needed for effective commercial targeting," the group said.
CBP will increase Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) fees by 7.167 percent to adjust for inflation in fiscal year 2020, the agency said in a notice. Affected fees include the merchandise processing fee, vessel and truck arrival fees and the customs broker permit user fee. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, passed in 2015, required that CBP make inflation adjustments and fee limitations when deemed necessary (see 1512040024). CBP increased the fees by 4.886 percent last year (see 1807310028). The fees are effective Oct. 1.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control’s amendments to its reporting, procedures and penalties regulations are unclear and too broad, the Association of University Export Control Officers and The Clearing House Association said in July 22 comments, joining a series of trade associations that have been critical of the regulations' amendments.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control’s amendments to its reporting, procedures and penalties regulations are unnecessary, unclear and “overly burdensome” on the U.S. forwarding industry, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in comments to the agency. The comments stem from OFAC’s June 21 interim final rule on the regulations’ amendments, which expands the scope of certain transactions that must be reported to the Treasury (see 1906200036). The American Association of Exporters and Importers also criticized the amendments, saying they have caused U.S. companies a “great deal of confusion” (see 1907230054).
Guangzhou Customs in China will only accept digital versions of the “Customs Broker Power of Attorney Agreement” starting Aug. 1, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in a July 23 report. The electronic version must be signed by the “customs declaration enterprise” and the “consignor (or consignee) of the imported/exported goods,” the report said. Guangzhou will then require it to be submitted through the region’s “customs clearance system,” the report said.