Eager for a CBP reauthorization bill to materialize this year, some stakeholders are pushing for a solution to the sole difference between the competing bills introduced last session, said industry executives. Those two House bills -- the Republicans' HR-6642 and the Democrats' HR-6656 -- differ solely in how they would address antidumping and countervailing duty underpayment and evasion. Those differences have largely stalled movement on customs legislation in this session and the previous session.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 11-15 in case they were missed.
Sequestration won't effect the 2013 roll-out of the remaining Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), said CBP during a conference call with industry, according to a notice from the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). CBP also said there won't "be effects on CEE staff," said the NCBFAA. CBP previously raised the possibility that sequestration could slow the openings of the new CEEs (see 13022528).
An amendment added to a government spending bill, HR-933, would limit federal agencies to sending at most 25 employees to any single U.S. meeting, potentially preventing important dialogue between the government and private industry, said the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) in a notice. The timetable on the amendment, introduced by Sens. Coburn, R-Okla., and John McCain, R-Ariz, isn't clear, though "the Senate leadership has expressed a desire to expedite the amendment process," said NCBFAA.
March 14-17 FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwards) HQ Session, Swissotel, Zurich, Switzerland (here)
Creating an effective Do Not Track (DNT) measure and an online education portal for consumers to learn about the practices of data brokers would be good business practices for the online advertising industry, FTC Commissioner Julie Brill said Wednesday at a Direct Marketing Association conference. “We all know that consumers are starting to worry,” and industry actions like those would make users feel more comfortable about data brokers and online tracking, she said. A DNT tool “enabled by browsers … would be the most effective way to provide consumers with granular choices that will be honored across platforms,” and consumers should be able to learn about the practices of data brokers and view and correct the information data brokers have about them, she continued. “Today’s biggest threat is the customer that is made skittish as she learns how her personal information is collected, used, bought and sold.” These resources would help the agency and the industry reach their shared goal of “a vibrant online and mobile marketplace fueled by the responsible use of consumer data,” she said. Brill also applauded the work of Peter Swire, the new co-chair of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Tracking Protection Working Group. “I do have a bit of a frustration” that the W3C discussions aren’t moving faster, but Swire has led the group in important discussions, including about the de-identification of browser data, she said.
The planned changes to the 19 CFR Part 111 regulations that govern customs brokers are still several stages away from implementation, said Elena Ryan, acting director of Trade Facilitation and Administration at CBP, who is overseeing the process for the agency. Ryan declined to put a time frame on the expected changes, but said the rulemaking process can sometimes be a multi-year process. While some of the discussed changes are more contentious than others, the update will be part of a single rulemaking, rather than piece by piece changes, she said in an interview.
The FTC will continue to focus on consumer privacy and Do Not Track (DNT) rules under new Chairman Edith Ramirez, said FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Acting Director Charles Harwood during a Direct Marketing Association panel Tuesday. Ramirez will prioritize continuity from former FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz’s tenure, Harwood said: “She understands that being the new Chairman doesn’t mean you need to have entirely new programs” because companies have to make decisions based on what they expect from the agency and “can’t change on a dime.” Under Ramirez, the agency will be data-driven, Harwood said: “She is a very rigorous, data driven individual."
The FTC will continue to focus on consumer privacy and Do Not Track (DNT) rules under new Chairman Edith Ramirez, said FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Acting Director Charles Harwood during a Direct Marketing Association panel Tuesday. Ramirez will prioritize continuity from former FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz’s tenure, Harwood said: “She understands that being the new Chairman doesn’t mean you need to have entirely new programs” because companies have to make decisions based on what they expect from the agency and “can’t change on a dime.” Under Ramirez, the agency will be data-driven, Harwood said: “She is a very rigorous, data driven individual."
There may be some delay in the processing of broker license applications because the FBI has stopped processing fingerprint cards for CBP's background checks, said the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America in an alert to its members. CBP will use the Global Entry System (GES) to process the fingerprint cards as it works to find a permanent solution, said the NCBFAA.