The China General Administration of Customs recently announced major changes to its valuation regulations that will take effect Feb. 1, according to reports from Ernst & Young (here) and Baker & McKenzie (here). The update is the first major overhaul of China’s valuation procedures since 2006, said Ernst & Young. Changes include the addition of a “circumstances of sale” test and modifications to the treatment of international freight and selling commissions. The new regulations also clarify procedures valuation of bonded goods for domestic sale.
Send event information for inclusion in the International Trade Today Calendar toITTNews@warren-news.com.
Todd Hoffman, previously area port director for Los Angeles/Long Beach, is now acting executive director of cargo and conveyance security at CBP headquarters, according to a recent presentation from CBP put on by Avalon Risk Management and the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America. Hoffman takes the spot from Dan Baldwin, who recently retired (see 14010315). John Landers, previously with the Port of Cincinnati was named director of manifest and conveyance security at CBP headquarters.
International Trade Today will periodically feature a Q&A with a customs industry professional. Our interviewee for this edition is Barbara Carman, Director of Compliance with BCB International, a privately held customs brokerage in Buffalo, N.Y. Carman has been with BCB International since 1995 Licensed in 1992, she has been in the customs brokerage industry for almost 30 years and is an active member of the NCBFFA and the International Compliance Professionals Association.
CBP is telling the trade community it will put manifest holds on any cargo at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach that does not have an Importer Security Filing (ISF) 48 hours before arrival, according to alerts sent out by A.N. Deringer (here) and OHL (here), among others. The new "enforcement posture" was effective Jan. 20, CBP told the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association (here). The ISF program requires advance cargo information submission to CBP within 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto an ocean vessel going to the U.S. CBP begin increasing ISF enforcement efforts in July (see 13062613) and discussed the increased use of manifest holds by CBP's Los Angeles/Long Beach field office in October (see 13100810).
Send event information for inclusion in the International Trade Today Calendar toITTNews@warren-news.com.
International Trade Today will periodically feature a Q&A with a customs industry professional. Our interviewee for this edition is Cindy Allen, Vice President of Brokerage U.S. for DHL Global Forwarding. Before joining DHL, Allen handled the difficult task of overseeing work on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as CBP's Executive Director of the ACE business office. Allen has also served as the Educational Institute Director with National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America and president of the Detroit Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association. She's been a licensed customs broker since 1990.
Federal data security legislation and high-technology payment processing features were among the suggestions industry attorneys and Internet security advocates raised to improve the recent flurry of data breaches. Legislation, if done correctly, would help companies with compliance and improve their data security, said stakeholders in interviews this week. Last week, Target upped to a total of at least 70 million the number of consumers potentially affected by one of the largest data breaches to hit a U.S. retailer. Re-evaluating the outdated mode of credit card payment processing in the U.S. would better protect companies and consumers against data theft, said experts. They also raised questions about the power of credit cards companies to effectively regulate alleged data breaches.
Federal data security legislation and high-technology payment processing features were among the suggestions industry attorneys and Internet security advocates raised to improve the recent flurry of data breaches. Legislation, if done correctly, would help companies with compliance and improve their data security, said stakeholders in interviews this week. Last week, Target upped to a total of at least 70 million the number of consumers potentially affected by one of the largest data breaches to hit a U.S. retailer (WID Jan 13 p4). Re-evaluating the outdated mode of credit card payment processing in the U.S. would better protect companies and consumers against data theft, said experts. They also raised questions about the power of credit cards companies to effectively regulate alleged data breaches.
The final regulations on the Foreign Supplier Verification Program will provide more clarity on the responsibility of U.S. agents for fulfilling program requirements, said Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials at a Jan. 14 webinar hosted by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). Foreign entities will be able to designate a representative that is not the Bioterrorism Act U.S. agent for FSVP purposes, they said. The agency is also considering a system where that U.S. agent or representative must give consent to be identified as such under the FSVP.