CBP posted the Oct. 7, 2013, customs broker exam (here) and answer key (here).
After Ministers of World Trade Organization (WTO) member states sealed a multilateral trade package on Dec. 7, a day later than the Bali summit was slated to conclude, U.S. political and industry leaders voiced widespread support. The package expedites customs procedure and reduces costs, shields food hoarding programs from legal dispute and institutes duty-free, quota-free access for least developed country export to wealthier markets, among other provisions, the WTO said (here). The package also delivers assistance to developing and least developed countries to update infrastructure and train customs officials, according to the WTO, adding that the package will increase trade flow and revenue through decreasing global trade costs by 10 percent to 15 percent. The world economic benefit may reach $1 trillion, said the WTO.
Ministers from World Trade Organization member countries reached agreement on measures to simplify customs procedures, as part of a package of deals announced at the Bali Ministerial Conference on Dec. 7 (see 13120903). The Agreement on Trade Facilitation aims to reduce costs and improve the speed and efficiency of customs procedures. The agreement will be legally binding, but will be a “multilateral” deal that only applies to WTO members that sign on to the deal. The WTO’s announcement of the deal lauded it as “one of the biggest reforms of the WTO since its establishment in 1995” (here).
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A New York drug importer has filed suit against the Food and Drug Administration in a bid to secure release of a shipment of raw pharmaceutical ingredients that was refused by the agency. H&M USA filed a complaint Nov. 19 at the Eastern New York U.S. District Court, arguing FDA cited a non-existent policy on labeling of bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to refuse entry. The company wants the district court to order the shipment’s release, and block a CBP redelivery order.
CBP posted documents related to phase two of its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Cargo Release test. Scheduled to begin on Jan. 4 as part of ACE Deployment B, phase two will expand the Cargo Release test to the ocean and rail environments. CBP posted updates to two ACE Automated Broker Interface (ABI) CATAIR chapters related to the test. The agency in November expanded eligibility for the pilot, which was formerly known as Simplified Entry, by no longer requiring customs brokers and importer self-filers have Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) status (see 13110115).
The FTC will host three seminars starting in February on the benefits and privacy concerns raised by three new information collection practices, said the agency in a Monday news release (http://1.usa.gov/1jc3kS5). The topics are mobile device tracking, alternative scoring products and consumer-generated and controlled health data. The mobile device tracking seminar is scheduled for Feb. 19, and will explore the emerging practice of tracking customers’ movements in retail stores via their mobile devices (CD Dec 2 p1). “In most cases, this tracking is invisible to consumers and occurs with no consumer interaction,” the release said. The alternative scoring products seminar on March 19 will deal with the data broker practice of offering customer scores to companies to predict customer traits such as the likelihood a customer has committed identity fraud; the credit risk associated with a loan application; and how to most successfully collect a debt, said the release. “Consumers are largely unaware of these scores, and have little to no access to the underlying data that comprises the scores.” The seminar on consumer-generated and controlled health data doesn’t have a confirmed date. It will cover the privacy implications of websites and applications that collect and analyze health information from users. The public can submit comments on each of these topics until a month after the seminar (http://1.usa.gov/18b91eF). The commission said it will release staff reports after each seminar.
The FTC will host three seminars starting in February on the benefits and privacy concerns raised by three new information collection practices, said the agency in a Monday news release (http://1.usa.gov/1jc3kS5). The topics are mobile device tracking, alternative scoring products and consumer-generated and controlled health data. The mobile device tracking seminar is scheduled for Feb. 19, and will explore the emerging practice of tracking customers’ movements in retail stores via their mobile devices (WID Dec 2 p1; Oct 23 p1). “In most cases, this tracking is invisible to consumers and occurs with no consumer interaction,” the release said. The alternative scoring products seminar on March 19 will deal with the data broker practice of offering customer scores to companies to predict customer traits such as the likelihood a customer has committed identity fraud; the credit risk associated with a loan application; and how to most successfully collect a debt, said the release. “Consumers are largely unaware of these scores, and have little to no access to the underlying data that comprises the scores.” The seminar on consumer-generated and controlled health data doesn’t have a confirmed date. It will cover the privacy implications of websites and applications that collect and analyze health information from users. The public can submit comments on each of these topics until a month after the seminar (http://1.usa.gov/18b91eF). The commission said it will release staff reports after each seminar.
Send event information for inclusion in the International Trade Today Calendar toITTNews@warren-news.com.
National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America plans a webinar on Intellectual Property Rights Import Protection, Compliance and Enforcement at 9 a.m. PST Dec. 11, it said. Presenters include John Clausen, IPR coordinator, CBP Center for Excellence and Expertise: Information Technology & Consumer Electronics, and George Tuttle of the George R. Tuttle law firm. Members price is $35, non-members $50.