The Generalized System of Preferences, which expired at the end of last year, had its first move toward renewal Feb. 8, as the chairman and ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill that would extend the program for three years, the committee said in a press release. "When enacted, the bill introduced today will extend the program through December 31, 2020, and retroactively extend benefits to covered imports that have been made since the program lapsed," the release said.
CBP will not use accelerated payment for processing claims under the new drawback procedures until the associated regulations become final, Sandler Travis' Michael Cerny, who chairs the Trade Support Network’s drawback working group, said in a blog post. The agency is required to begin accepting drawback claims under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act as of Feb. 24 and is in the process of issuing associated rules. "Claimants filing for drawback under the more advantageous TFTEA provisions will have to wait months, if not longer, to obtain their refunds," Cerny said.
The Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 24 posted a new chapter of its draft guidance document on human food preventive controls regulations, detailing requirements for supply chain programs for human food products that in some cases may be applicable to importers. Under the supply chain provisions, facilities that manufacture or process ingredients from outside suppliers must use approved suppliers and appropriate supplier verification activities, including on-site audits and record reviews of their suppliers. FDA’s draft guidance includes information and illustrative examples on who is subject to supply chain program requirements and what activities they must conduct.
There were few, if any, early impacts to trade processing over the weekend following the federal government shutdown, trade association leaders said Jan. 22. Geoff Powell, president of C.H. Powell and the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, said by email he has "not heard of any issues at this time." CBP was scheduled to provide a briefing to industry leaders on Jan. 22 regarding the shutdown while legislators continued efforts to resolve the government funding impasse through a short-term continuing resolution. Congress is expected to pass a funding bill that would end the shutdown on Jan. 22.
CBP is currently awaiting guidance from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) before it can implement recent excise tax cuts for beer, wine and distilled spirits that took effect Jan. 1, CBP officials said on their biweekly ACE call Jan. 18. CBP still hasn’t made any updates to tax rates in the Automated Broker Interface to reflect the changes, enacted as part of broader tax legislation at the end of 2017 (see 1712220024).
CBP revenue collections will be among the Department of Homeland Security operations that will be exempt from an all-out agency stoppage in the event of a government shutdown, according to a Jan. 19 detailed contingency plan issued by DHS. Some 54,000 of the 59,000 CBP employees will be "exempt and estimated to be retained during a lapse in appropriations," DHS said. "These employees are exempt since they are Presidential appointees, law enforcement officers, funded by other than annual appropriations, or necessary for the protection of life and property." Government funding will stop after Jan. 19 unless legislators can reach a deal for a continuing resolution.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing new regulations on the requirements and procedures of its planned Commerce Trusted Trader Program (CTTP) for high-risk seafood imports. Under the proposed rule, participating importers would have to maintain an “internal control system” of product tracing and verification and submit to annual third-party audits. In return, the importer would benefit from reduced entry filing requirements under the NMFS Seafood Import Monitoring Program, which took effect Jan. 1.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act (H.R. 4318) on Jan. 16, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said on the daily schedule. The bill is set to get expedited treatment as non-controversial legislation "under suspension of the rules," it said. The MTB legislation was introduced in the Senate and House in November (see 1711090039). Companies (see 1712070027) and lawmakers (see 1801120016) recently began a push for quick consideration of the MTB. The last MTB expired in 2012.
LAS VEGAS -- Fifth-generation wireless will be a complete change from earlier generations, technologists said at CES. The move to 5G and the IoT have been top wireless themes at the conference. Erik Ekudden, Ericsson chief technology officer, said 5G will be like having a fiber connection in your pocket. Ekudden and others predicted the U.S. will face tough competition to be the leader on 5G.