The Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) proposed changes to ocean transport intermediary (OTI) rules fall outside the agency's regulatory duties, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) said in comments responding to the proposed rulemaking. Those changes are “not truly relevant to the Commission’s oversight responsibilities” and should not go forward, the association said. The agency released the proposal earlier this year, saying it would lessen regulatory burdens and improve processing (see 13053031).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 12 - Aug. 16 in case they were missed.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America plans a 1 p.m. Aug. 29 webinar on the provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which takes effect Oct. 1. The webinar will be presented by Mike Brown, executive vice president of Avalon Risk Management, and Kathy Schricker, regional vice president of Avalon Risk Management, it said. NCBFAA said the "complex" law will impact customs house brokers, OTIs, surface freight forwarders and motor carriers. The webinar will include changes to the bonding requirements for freight brokers and the impact on freight forwarders and motor carriers.
The Food and Drug Administration will soon begin its secure supply chain pilot program for pharmaceuticals, it said in a Federal Register notice set for publication Aug. 20. The pilot, originally announced in 2009 (see 09011620), will allow expedited entry for finished drug products and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from participating importers. FDA said it will accept applications beginning Sept. 16 until Dec. 31, and will begin the pilot in February 2014. The agency intends to run the pilot for two years, until February 2016, it said.
CBP should revoke or modify some long-standing interpretative rulings that the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NBCFAA) believes have created an overly strict confidentiality standard, the group said in a letter to CBP. NCBFAA asked that CBP adopt a standard that requires brokers to maintain the confidentiality of an importer's "proprietary business information," generally defined as information that could harm the importer's competitive position if disclosed.
A.N. Deringer will be one of the nine customs brokerages to test CBP's broker importer security assessment (ISA) pre-certification program, the company said in a press release. UPS also recently said it would be a participant in the program (see 13081415). CBP declined to provide the names of the other seven participants, but said it would release them soon.
The Central California U.S. District Court’s $8 million judgment against customs broker Celco Customs Service for trademark infringement will move forward, after Judge Margaret Morrow denied the company’s final defenses in an Aug. 9 order. A jury had decided the penalty after finding Celco infringed trademarks held by Coach when it acted as a customs broker on entries of counterfeit handbags and wallets. But Judge Morrow vacated an April judgment because Celco never got a chance to present its “affirmative defenses.” Now having heard Celco’s arguments, the court said the defenses are invalid because the jury found Celco’s trademark violations to be willful. Celco will now file post-trial motions asking the judge to throw out the jury’s verdict based on improper infringement findings and an excessive penalty amount, its attorney said.
UPS will be one of nine customs brokerages testing CBP's broker importer security assessment (ISA) pre-certification program, the company said. The program, announced in April (see 13041623), is hoped to make use of customs broker relationships to increase importer participation within ISA. CBP didn't return a request for comment on whether other participants have been announced.
Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn’s affirmation she might consider FCC involvement in the retransmission dispute between Time Warner Cable and CBS could add pressure to the parties to reach a resolution that would restore the broadcaster’s stations to the operator’s lineup, said some consumer advocates and broadcast attorneys in interviews Monday. Clyburn and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel expressed their concern for the affected customers after Friday’s FCC monthly meeting (CD Aug 12 p1). The statement from Clyburn counters the stance that previous chairmen have taken on the commission’s authority to act, said consumer groups that want retrans rules changed. NAB opposed further government involvement in the retrans consent process.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 5 - Aug. 9 in case they were missed.