International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Although CBP is not setting limits on fees levied by continuing education accreditors, the agency wants to make sure accreditors aren't taking advantage of customs brokers who need to earn the credits, said Elena Ryan, CBP special adviser for programs and policy analysis.
A suspected June cyberattack on Livingston International highlighted the need for customs brokers to prepare for a potential breach, which could disrupt their operations and cut off communication with CBP and clients, industry experts said in interviews. They said brokers should formulate a detailed plan for how to respond, which may include hiring subcontractors, notifying customers and quickly reporting to federal agencies.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's new automated message process for plants, vegetables and fruit imports (see 230707001) will help importers know more quickly if they have submitted a species or subspecies that doesn't exist, and, if accurate data is submitted ahead of arrival, should help cargo get released more quickly.
Importers should be careful when combining several goods into a single shipment, which can save them money in fees but also present some complications, Flexport executives said during an Aug. 2 webinar hosted by the company.
New Hampshire-based furniture seller Yogibo will pay $217,832 to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by "failing to pay customs duties on imports from China," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced July 26. The case was brought by David Kohlenberger, a whistleblower and former senior logistics and warehouse manager for Yogibo from 2017 to 2021, who will receive 20% of the settlement.
CBP will increase Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) fees by 26.67% to adjust for inflation in FY 2024 (by comparing the current year to the base year, FY 2014), 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. For example, the Commercial Vessel Arrival Fee for FY 2023 was set at $518.41 last year (see 2207290026). This year, it is being set at $553.55 for FY 2024. The Customs Broker Permit User Fee is going from the current $163.71 to $174.80 in FY 2024. The year-over-year increase is about 6.79%, according to the notice. The fees are effective Oct. 1, the start of FY 2024.
New Hampshire-based furniture seller Yogibo will pay $217,832 to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by "failing to pay customs duties on imports from China," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced July 26. The case was brought by David Kohlenberger, a whistleblower and former senior logistics and warehouse manager for Yogibo from 2017 to 2021, who will receive 20% of the settlement.
Location technology platform Foursquare gathers “vast amounts of time-stamped, precise geolocation data” from consumers’ cellphones, then profits by selling their data to other companies, said a Monday privacy class action (docket 3:23-cv-30078) in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts in Springfield.
The House Judiciary Committee passed legislation Wednesday that would ban law enforcement and intelligence agencies from buying consumer data from brokers without a warrant (see 2307180064). Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., voted “present,” making him the only member not to support the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act (HR-4639). He defended the FBI during Friday’s hearing on reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.