BALTIMORE -- There has been a long wait for details on how drawback will work under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, but Dave Corn, vice president of Comstock and Theakston, said things are going to be moving in the next month. The Office of Management and Budget is required to send the proposed rule back to CBP by July 5, and Corn said he expects CBP to release a proposed rule notification a week or two after OMB acts. A lawsuit on whether CBP's action to change accelerated payment practices was outside its authority for interim guidance should also be resolved within a few weeks, he said while speaking at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference on June 8.
BALTIMORE -- More than 15 years after CBP implemented the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program, it's time to raise the standards for supply chain security, said Liz Schmelzinger, CTPAT director at CBP. "CTPAT is 17 years old now," she said, and "really not as effective as it used to be." Most pressing is the need for companies to examine cybersecurity aspects of the supply chain, she said, as the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks continues to grow.
BALTIMORE -- CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told an audience of import and export professionals that CBP is going to use the White House directive on regulatory reform to edit regulations across many areas, including bonded warehouses, foreign-trade zones, vessel arrival, e-bonds and ending the requirement that customs brokers have local certification. McAleenan, who was speaking at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference June 8, also touched on agency initiatives in improving screening of small packages, protecting trademarks and copyrights, and blocking shipments of goods produced with forced labor. He encouraged everyone to make e-allegations on forced labor, and said he just received one from junior high school students in Maine who are concerned about slave labor in the chocolate industry.
BALTIMORE -- There has been a long wait for details on how drawback will work under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, but Dave Corn, vice president of Comstock and Theakston, said things are going to be moving in the next month. The Office of Management and Budget is required to send the proposed rule back to CBP by July 5, and Corn said he expects CBP to release a proposed rule notification a week or two after OMB acts. A lawsuit on whether CBP's action to change accelerated payment practices was outside its authority for interim guidance should also be resolved within a few weeks, he said while speaking at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference on June 8.
BALTIMORE -- There are some barriers to data sharing among NAFTA companies that would ease goods' flow across borders, but progress is steady, panelists said at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference. Kim Campbell, founder of MKMarin, a Canadian trade services firm, said some of the problems with data sharing on Canadian exports is that Canada generally doesn't ask exporters to submit information if they're sending their goods to their southern neighbor. "We don’t actually collect export data into the United States," she said, and shipments from Canada to Mexico are often not tracked, either, because firms took advantage of the lack of reporting requirement for shipments south, as goods transited across the U.S.
BALTIMORE -- There are some barriers to data sharing among NAFTA companies that would ease goods' flow across borders, but progress is steady, panelists said at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference. Kim Campbell, founder of MKMarin, a Canadian trade services firm, said some of the problems with data sharing on Canadian exports is that Canada generally doesn't ask exporters to submit information if they're sending their goods to their southern neighbor. "We don’t actually collect export data into the United States," she said, and shipments from Canada to Mexico are often not tracked, either, because firms took advantage of the lack of reporting requirement for shipments south, as goods transited across the U.S.
BALTIMORE -- More than 15 years after CBP implemented the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program, it's time to raise the standards for supply chain security, said Liz Schmelzinger, CTPAT director at CBP. "CTPAT is 17 years old now," she said, and "really not as effective as it used to be." Most pressing is the need for companies to examine cybersecurity aspects of the supply chain, she said, as the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks continues to grow.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America suggested members review EU's general data protection regulation, now that the rules have taken effect. "GDPR applies to all companies and organizations that offer services or products to EU residents," NCBFAA emailed members. "Even if you have no offices in the EU, no members in the EU and no meetings in the EU, if you transact business there or send promotional materials to EU residents, you are probably covered by the GDPR."
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America "is not aware of any law prohibiting the disclosure" of Employer Identification Numbers that might prevent compliance with new Chinese customs data requirements, the NCBFAA said in an email. China's General Administration of Customs is requiring the shipper code and contact identifier for all master and house airway bills as of June 1 (see 1805140017). The GAC requires an EIN or Central Index Key (CIK) (or the comparable government identification for shippers or forwarders in other countries) of U.S.-based shippers and forwarders, meaning the EINs will be disclosed to both the carrier and GAC, the NCBFAA said. "The NCBFAA understands that many parties are concerned regarding potential liability for disclosing EINs to [GAC] and third parties. The association believes that EINs are not, however, protected in the same manner as Social Security Numbers ('SSNs'), and are instead considered to be public information," it said.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America "is not aware of any law prohibiting the disclosure" of Employer Identification Numbers that might prevent compliance with new Chinese customs data requirements, the NCBFAA said in an email. China's General Administration of Customs is requiring the shipper code and contact identifier for all master and house airway bills as of June 1 (see 1805140017). The GAC requires an EIN or Central Index Key (CIK) (or the comparable government identification for shippers or forwarders in other countries) of U.S.-based shippers and forwarders, meaning the EINs will be disclosed to both the carrier and GAC, the NCBFAA said. "The NCBFAA understands that many parties are concerned regarding potential liability for disclosing EINs to [GAC] and third parties. The association believes that EINs are not, however, protected in the same manner as Social Security Numbers ('SSNs'), and are instead considered to be public information," it said.