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More than 40 industry associations voiced concern with a proposal from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to set a new user fee on imports to cover the costs of expanding its risk-based import surveillance activities, in a letter to the agency and several congressmen dated May 7. Groups including the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), and U.S. Chamber of Commerce told CPSC that a new user fee on imports, alongside the proposed expansion of product safety certificate requirements, could become a heavy new burden that restricts trade. They urged CPSC to closely consult with industry to make sure any new requirements are as effective as possible without burdening industry.
Importers and brokers should take steps to try and maintain rights for refunds under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), as GSP-eligible entries have started to liquidate as entered, with duty paid, said the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America in a note to members. "Faced with the liquidation of GSP eligible entries, importers (and their brokers) wishing to preserve their rights to potential refunds should consider filing protests against the liquidation of these GSP eligible entries and asking CBP to suspend action on the protest pending the passage of legislation re-authorizing GSP benefits." The trade program expired at the end of July last year.
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CBP is seeking applicants for the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC), according to a notice published in the Federal Register May 8. Applications should be submitted to CBP by June 23.
An employee of a New York apparel importer will receive over $2 million for his role in bringing a whistleblower lawsuit against his employer for customs fraud. Michael Krigstein, who according to court documents has been a garment cutter at Dana Kay since 2006, had filed a lawsuit that eventually resulted in a $10 million settlement agreed to by the U.S. government, Dana Kay and Siouni and Zarr to end a False Claims Act case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York related to undervaluation of apparel imports.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will hold off on adopting controversial changes to its Part 1110 regulations on certificates of compliance while it gathers more industry input, voting unanimously to amend its fiscal year 2014 operating plan at a meeting held May 6. CPSC now plans to reopen the comment period on its proposed rule on Part 1110 and hold a public workshop, said Chairman Robert Adler. The commission also made other changes to its operating plan at the meeting, after finding itself left with more revenue than anticipated due to slow hiring processes and additional funding from Congress. Some of the additional funding will be spent on new import screening equipment.
Customs brokers may want to use extra caution when arranging for inland trucking of cargo by registering with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as a property broker in order to avoid potential issues in the future, said the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, in a notice to members. While the NCBFAA still believes customs brokers remain exempt from the registration requirements for Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), uncertainty remains as to exactly how the FMCSA understands the law's exemptions, the association said. "The NCBFAA hopes that the FMCSA will provide the guidance and eliminate the uncertainty that has existed since the legislation was enacted," it said. "Until then, the NCBFAA recommends that each member either consult with counsel or take the precaution of obtaining the registration and bond established by the MAP-21 legislation."
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The recently elected National Customs Brokers & Forwarders President Geoffrey Powell will work to engage members on coming changes to the Automated Commercial Environment and export control reform, he said to association staff, according to a NCBFAA press release. “CBP’s ACE drop dates are on schedule which means all members must be using it by November 2015 if they want to stay in business,” said Powell, who is president of C.H. Powell. “That’s why we are working with our Affiliate Association partners to initiate local outreach efforts in their areas to ensure that both their members and the software vendors serving them are ready for ACE.” Powell will also work with government agencies on ways to facilitate export activity as part the National Export Initiative and will help familiarize new exporters on the processes involved, he said.