The passage rate for for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection license exam in April 2012, is expected to be especially low, according to industry and government sources. One industry source said the passage rate may be as low as 1 percent, though CBP wouldn't confirm that, saying the numbers would be out next week. The issue was briefly addressed during the May 22 Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) meeting in Savannah, Ga.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted an updated listed of frequently asked questions on the Centers of Excellence and Expertise. CBP officials said during the May 22, 2012 COAC meeting another update is expected shortly. The questions and answers are:
The Commerce Department said 41 companies and organizations are recipients of the 2012 President’s “E” Award, the highest U.S. government recognition a U.S. entity may receive for supporting export activity. The “E” Award recipients are contributors to the President’s National Export Initiative (NEI) goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a May 2012 package of test questions for Automated Export System participants to be transmitted to CBP within an agreed upon time frame for operational certification. The long test is available here, the short test here. Such tests must be taken by self-programming exporters, brokers, forwarding agents, vendors and service centers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the following documents ahead of the May 22, 2012 Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting scheduled for Savannah, Georgia:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is considering ways to leverage Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) and offer a simplified entry process to ACAS participants by integrating with the Simplified Entry initiative, said CBP Acting Commissioner David Aguilar during testimony before a House May 17 hearing on Customs issues .
May 22 U.S.-China Business Council panel on Current Issues in US-China Trade, 8:30 am, Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, WA -- https://www.uschina.org/info/programs/
The "Basic Guide to Exporting" by the National Custom Brokers and Forwarders Association of America is now available as an e-book, it said. The reference book, with more than 40,000 copies now in circulation, can be downloaded to any e-book reader for about $7, it said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection must be aware of the limits of what customs brokers can provide to CBP, though there are several ways brokers can work with CBP to further the importing process, according to written testimony from Darrell Sekin, president of the National Customs Brokers and Forwards Association of America. Sekin is scheduled to testify May 17 before the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee during a hearing on Supporting Economic Growth and Job Creation through Customs Trade Modernization, Facilitation, and Enforcement.
The National Custom Brokers and Forwarders Association of America plans to reconstitute its NCBFAA Educational Institute (NEI), said NEI Chairman Ken Bargteil. Those interested in boosting the continuing education and the enhancement of professionalism and expertise of brokers and forwarders should provide their name, NCBFAA area, company name, job title, email and postal address, office and cell phone numbers. NCBFAA also said they should indicate their areas of interests: CCS and/or CES; and Subcommittee preference: Content, Administration, Policy. Responses should be sent to memb@ncbfaa.org. The NCBFAA board also added 22 members; the list is here. It also announced its 2012 committee roster (here).