The FTC’s upcoming study of ISP data collection practices is the right step (see 1903260072), lawmakers told us. Some want big tech companies also under the microscope. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the study is related to Chairman Joe Simons’ response to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (see 1903200073).
The Canada Border Services Agency plans to again push back the sunset date for legacy release options as part of the Single Window Initiative and Integrated Import Declaration transition, a CBSA spokesman said by email on March 26. Other Government Departments (OGD) service options pre-arrival review system (PARS), or SO 463, and release on minimum documentation (RMD), or SO 471, were set for decommissioning on April 1, 2019, CBSA announced last year. CBSA recently told members of the trade that the sunset date for OGD PARS (SO 463) and OGD RMD (SO 471) will now be in October.
The regulatory and legal aspects of CBP's blockchain efforts will likely "ramp up" if the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee recommends moving forward based on the results of the proof of concept testing, said Vincent Annunziato, director of CBP’s Business Transformation and Innovation Division (BTID). At that point, the Office of Regulations and Rulings would have to get involved by reviewing requirements that weren't necessary during the test, which simulated the NAFTA and CAFTA certificates of origin process, he said during a recent interview.
Importers can use the temporary import provisions with goods subject to Section 301 tariffs in order to pay the tariffs at current levels and avoid potential increases, CBP said in a Feb. 21 ruling, HQ H302203. Alex Romero of A.F. Romero & Co. Customs Brokers requested CBP's ruling on behalf Panacea Products Corp. Several of Panacea's products are subject to the third list of Section 301 tariffs, which were originally slated to increase from 10 percent to 25 percent on Jan. 1. That increase has since been delayed "until further notice" while the U.S. and China negotiate (see 1903010036).
If the United Kingdom crashes out of the European Union in 17 days, it has a plan on what its tariff schedule will be, but John Dickerman, head of the Washington office of the Confederation of British Industries, said that there's no answer on who will be ready to take the manifest information from exporters the day after Brexit. "That's a huge challenge," he said.
Some participants in Customs and Border Protection’s proof of concept (POC) for blockchain using North American Free Trade Agreement and Central America Free Trade Agreement certificates like the results. Some in the trade business say it complicated things (see 1903070014). There's consensus the POC showed the technology deserves further consideration, said Emily Beline, senior attorney at FedEx. The trade industry gave "universal support" for CBP to continue in the blockchain realm, she told a Georgetown University law school event Friday. Vincent Annunziato, director of CBP’s Business Transformation and Innovation Division, said uploading some forms makes it instantaneous to later review them: "If we put out a request" to Walmart, for example, and "Walmart sends us the information, guess who's notified? The government, the broker, Walmart, they're all notified." That’s better than a document that requires someone to "look at it," he said. "I don't have to look at anything when I have digital data." Blockchain should cut times the data needs to be re-entered, Annunziato said. The moderator, Barnes Richardson lawyer Lawrence Friedman, agreed with an audience member there's some concern "as I think about my clients" on the blockchain creating new requirements that aren’t legally mandated. CBP is still examining how to go forward when weighing the "efficiencies gained," Annunziato said. "There may be scenarios where what we can do is keep it in a situation where it's not required but it's optional if available." Data in the blockchain isn't necessarily better because it’s there, said Christine McDaniel, senior research fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center. "The integrity of the data is as strong as the weakest link of the participants."
Some participants in Customs and Border Protection’s proof of concept (POC) for blockchain using North American Free Trade Agreement and Central America Free Trade Agreement certificates like the results. Some in the trade business say it complicated things (see 1903070014). There's consensus the POC showed the technology deserves further consideration, said Emily Beline, senior attorney at FedEx. The trade industry gave "universal support" for CBP to continue in the blockchain realm, she told a Georgetown University law school event Friday. Vincent Annunziato, director of CBP’s Business Transformation and Innovation Division, said uploading some forms makes it instantaneous to later review them: "If we put out a request" to Walmart, for example, and "Walmart sends us the information, guess who's notified? The government, the broker, Walmart, they're all notified." That’s better than a document that requires someone to "look at it," he said. "I don't have to look at anything when I have digital data." Blockchain should cut times the data needs to be re-entered, Annunziato said. The moderator, Barnes Richardson lawyer Lawrence Friedman, agreed with an audience member there's some concern "as I think about my clients" on the blockchain creating new requirements that aren’t legally mandated. CBP is still examining how to go forward when weighing the "efficiencies gained," Annunziato said. "There may be scenarios where what we can do is keep it in a situation where it's not required but it's optional if available." Data in the blockchain isn't necessarily better because it’s there, said Christine McDaniel, senior research fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center. "The integrity of the data is as strong as the weakest link of the participants."
The Transition Engine Annual Report (TEAR) is due on March 31 for transition engines imported or manufactured during the 2018 calendar year, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an emailed notice. "The purpose of this notice is to raise awareness amongst customs brokers and their clients (importers of off-road diesel engines)" of the deadline, the agency said. "If you import transition engines or machines containing a transition engine into Canada, or are a Canadian manufacturer of transition engines or machines containing a transition engine, you must submit" a TEAR, the agency said in an attached presentation.
CBP would like even more public feedback on how to modernize the agency's processes and regulations, CBP said in a notice. CBP said it is reopening the comment period until April 11 to allow for new input after it held a March 1 meeting to discuss a wide range of ideas for updates. The March 1 meeting included few mentions of exports, but the docket of the original request for comments includes multiple suggestions and criticisms on the export side.
CBP will in the coming days be issuing contingency plans and a frequently asked questions document related to its upcoming deployment of its new Form 5106 in ACE, said Randy Mitchell, director-commercial operations, revenue and entry at CBP, in an interview March 11. The transition effort follows CBP’s decision to stick to its March 16 deadline but significantly reduce the length of an outage related to the deployment in response to concerns from the trade community.