CBP's information collection for commercial invoices “indicates that there is a transaction with a price already agreed upon that the foreign seller and U.S. buyer will pay,” but that's not always true, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in comments to CBP on a proposed extension of the information collection (see 2009290038). “There often are shipments that are consigned, leased, etc. where the parties have not established a price to be paid and other commercial invoice information may not be available,” the association said. NCBFAA suggested that CBP's regulations should instead “require all the information normally provided on a commercial invoice on an as needed basis and when appropriate to the transaction.”
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Oct. 26-30 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A payment of $150.33 for the annual Customs Broker Permit User Fee is due by Jan. 29, CBP said in an Oct. 28 notice.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Oct. 19-23 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
CBP is seeking public comment on whether to impose continuing education requirements on licensed customs brokers, it said in a notice released Oct. 27. The notice, an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, is the latest development in the long-discussed idea of adding such requirements (see 2002130025). CBP's notice goes over a number of possible scenarios for how continuing education could be administered and asks for input on a wide range of operational questions.
CBP will be holding a “retest” for people who experienced technical difficulties during the Oct. 8 customs broker license exam, said Melba Hubbard, CBP branch chief, Broker Management, Commercial Operations Revenue & Entry Division. Hubbard spoke during the virtual Western Cargo Conference Oct. 23. CBP previously mentioned some issues reported by test takers (see 2010200041), but said those issues didn't affect most of the people taking the test. The problems involved the “electronic references,” and CBP “will be providing a retest for those individuals, coming in 2021,” she said. Hubbard also said that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CBP is planning to send broker licenses directly to brokers rather than requiring them to pick them up from a CBP office.
CBP and industry had very little time to react to an executive order earlier this year that authorized export restrictions on certain medical equipment (see 2004080018) and had to scramble to adjust to new protocols, said Paulette Kolba, an export compliance consultant. Kolba, speaking during an Oct. 23 session of the Western Cargo Conference, said the abrupt restrictions were representative of a challenging year for export compliance professionals, who have had to deal with a range of regulatory changes and new compliance requirements.
FBB Federal Relations partner Ray Bucheger told members of the Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Associations that while the message on the Hill is discouraging on extending current Section 301 exclusions, his firm is working on legislation for the companies that received exclusions too late to get refunds for the tariffs paid.
An advance notice of proposed rulemaking on customs broker continuing education requirements (see 2009140033) is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 28, said John Leonard, CBP executive director-trade policy and programs, during the virtual Western Cargo Conference on Oct. 23. The advance notice will be available for preview on the public inspection site on Oct. 27, he said. “It's a great ANPRM, if I do say so myself.”