U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced that a Washington state woman who sold counterfeit, imported exercise equipment on the Internet was sentenced to 30 days in federal prison and a $64,500 fine following an ICE investigation. ICE notes that the woman lied to her customs broker about the products and mislead buyers as to the authenticity of the product.
China has announced that it is implementing new rules for non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) freight rate filing, which it states is needed to regulate the pricing practices of China’s international container transport market.
The Court of International Trade has entered U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “confession of judgment” in favor of Lizarraga Customs Broker, which was filed in response to Lizarraga’s pending motion for a preliminary injunction.
The COAC Intellectual Property Rights Subcommittee met with U.S Customs and Border Protection officials on August 12, 2010 to discuss CBP’s plans for a pilot program for a voluntary disclosure program for intellectual property rights violations.
House Energy and Commerce Committee sources have stated that they expect a new hearing to be scheduled on a discussion draft of drug safety legislation, but noted that no time has yet been set. Among other things, the draft legislation would require importer and custom broker registration for drugs, increased inspections and higher penalties. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/22/10 and 09/30/10 news, 10092210 and 10093003, for BP summaries of the discussion draft and the canceled September 30, 2010 hearing on it.)
On September 27, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin spoke at the NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference. The following are highlights of his comments:
Broker Power is now issuing weekly summary reports highlighting the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels1 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” BP’s weekly report also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”
Broker Power is correcting and expanding its summary of the Office of Foreign Assets Control final rule, effective September 29, 2010, which implements the provisions of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA1) to ban imports of certain foodstuffs and carpets from Iran.
Broker Power is now issuing weekly summary reports highlighting the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels1 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” BP’s weekly report also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a report providing the results from the 2010 Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism cost/benefit survey that was prepared for the agency by the University of Virginia.