As a new feature, International Trade Today will periodically feature a Q&A with a customs industry professional. Our interviewee for the inaugural Q&A is Amy Magnus, Director of Customs Affairs & Compliance at A.N. Deringer. Magnus is heavily involved within the customs world and served several different roles within customs broker trade associations, at both national and regional levels. Magnus also worked for CBP for 18 years before joining the private sector. Some of the questions and answers have been slightly edited.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) sent out a warning that its hotel block for its annual conference has been caught up in a housing scam. The conference is scheduled for April 6-9 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Nevada. "You may receive a phone, fax or e-mail transmission that offers a 'deal' on housing," the warning said. "The author's apparent intent is to mislead you their offer is made on behalf of NCBFAA. It is not." The scammers "have a boiler room operation that calls all conference attendees nationwide from their office in California," the NCBFAA said. "In the event that you book rooms through any such organization, please be advised that we will not be able to assist you in any way should rooms be unavailable upon your arrival at the hotel," it said.
The Treasury Department recently published its fall 2013 regulatory agenda for CBP, which lists three new items in the works, including amendments to CBP regulations that would add new notice requirements and appeal procedures for when CBP suspends or revokes an entry filer code or discontinues the ability to use immediate delivery and remote location filing (RLF) programs. The potential changes, proposed in February (see 13022521), are a major concern for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, which has said it would likely seek legal action if CBP were to try and revoke an entry filer code (see 13043021).
The Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association (LLUSCBA) will host an Automated Export System (AES) Compliance Seminar and an AESPcLink Workshop in Laredo, Texas on Jan. 15-16, the Census Bureau said in a press release. During the Jan. 15 seminar, participants will discuss Foreign Trade Regulations filing requirements, discuss Schedule B classification requirements, and provide an overview of AES, it said.. The seminar costs $125 for LLUSCBA members and $200 for non-members. The Jan. 16 workshop will offer training on electronic filing of export information via AESPcLink. The workshop costs $35 for LLUSCBA members and $75 for non-members. Those interested should register via admin@lluscba.org.
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Maureen Thorson, an international trade lawyer and licensed customs broker at Wiley Rein, was promoted from of counsel to partner, the firm said in a press release.
The customs broker’s license examination scheduled for April 2014 will be on Monday, April 7, said CBP in a notice. The four-hour exam consists of 80 multiple-choice questions, with a score of 75 percent required to pass. Exam topics usually include: Entry, Classification, Country of Origin, Trade Agreements, Antidumping/Countervailing Duty, Value, Broker Responsibilities, FP&F, Protests, Marking, Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise, Drawback, Intellectual Property Rights, and other subjects pertinent to a broker's duties. CBP said registration is expected to open for the exam in February.
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The Court of International Trade on Dec. 26 slapped yet more penalties on a Laredo-based customs broker whose violations were already the subject of another civil suit and a criminal case. The court ordered Alejandro Santos to pay $30,000 for misclassifying two shipments of pesticides and failing to file the notice of arrival required by the Environmental Protection Agency. The court had already ordered $19,000 in penalties against Santos in December 2012 for unrelated violations of customs laws. Santos also faces prison time after pleading guilty in May to a criminal customs case in the Southern Texas District Court.
Settlement Reached on Customs Broker Exam Lawsuit, Test Taker to Receive Passing Grade for 2011 Exam
An aspiring customs broker will receive a long-awaited passing grade for her customs exam after the Justice Department agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against CBP in the Court of International Trade, according to a recently filed settlement agreement. CBP will give Linh Pittman, who took the exam in Atlanta in 2011, "written confirmation that she received a passing grade on the customs broker licensing exam," the settlement agreement said. Pittman, who is represented by Jon Fee, a lawyer with Alston Bird, filed her initial appeal with CBP in 2012.