April 2-4 Northeast Trade and Transportation Conference, Hyatt Goat Island, Newport, R.I. (here)
The non-resident importer requirement in the House customs reauthorization bills will “damage and disrupt commercial trade relationships in numerous countries,” said the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America in a strongly worded letter to Republican leaders on the House Ways and Means Committee. This is not the first time industry groups have spoken against the requirement (see 13030603). It requires importers that are commercial entities not organized within the U.S., or who are not U.S. citizens or lawfully permitted alien residents, to designate a resident importer. That person would be financially liable for any problems with the import. In a March 28 letter, NCBFAA President Darrell Sekin, Jr. said the requirement is ineffective because the nonresident importer-of-record is already required to post a bond. The new requirement would “impose a bond to cover a bond. Why isn’t the first bond sufficient?”
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said it will begin its pilot May 28 on submission of electronic import inspection applications for meat, poultry, and egg products (FSIS Form 9540-1) through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), and is accepting requests to participate from importers and customs brokers by that date. The pilot will be used to test the transfer of data from the Participating Government Agency (PGA) Message Set in ACE to FSIS’ Public Health Information System (PHIS), the agency said. FSIS also posted a draft compliance guide for importers and customs brokers on electronic filing of the form in ACE.
The PortMiami Perishables Committee is preparing a letter to send to CBP headquarters to express concern for the effects of sequestration perishables at the port, according to a Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association email. The letter would also be sent to the Florida Congressional Delegation and the Office of U.S. Trade Representative. "Because of the limited shelf life and time sensitivity related to delivery of these products, perishables must be inspected in an efficient and timely manner," the letter says. "Cuts to CBP staffing will harm our nation's economy. With the imminent furlough of CBP workers, there is a significant possibility that fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and other products will face time delays at South Florida ports, damaging products and negatively affecting importers, merchants, and consumers alike." Congress and the administration should work to make sure perishables continue to be safely and efficiently process, as the toll for slowing the supply chain of perishable products would be "immediate and severe," it said.
A group of 15 customs-related associations told House and Senate leaders they are deeply concerned “about the state of the long-delayed and much-needed Customs reauthorization bill,” and urged the removal of antidumping and countervailing duty language from the bill so it can move forward. The two House CBP bills introduced last year -- Republicans’ HR-6642 and Democrats’ HR-6656 -- exhibit broad bipartisan cooperation, said the March 22 letter. But provisions over AD/CVD, the only difference between the two bills, could “stand in the way of progress.” Congress and the Obama Administration should either compromise on the language or deal with AD/CVD separately, the letter said. See 13032106 for ITT’s initial report on industry interest in splitting that language from the bills.
March 26 IE Canada Food Forum, Brampton, Ontario, 8 a.m. (here)
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the 2008 convictions of Zhen Hour Wu and Guofeng Wei for numerous counts of export violations, but vacated convictions related to the duo’s alleged violations of the U.S. Munitions List because of flawed jury instructions. In their defense, Wu and Wei, Chinese nationals who ran an electronics parts broker company, attacked the U.S. arms export control system as so vague it violates the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.
Eager for a CBP reauthorization bill to materialize this year, some stakeholders are pushing for a solution to the sole difference between the competing bills introduced last session, said industry executives. Those two House bills -- the Republicans' HR-6642 and the Democrats' HR-6656 -- differ solely in how they would address antidumping and countervailing duty underpayment and evasion. Those differences have largely stalled movement on customs legislation in this session and the previous session.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 11-15 in case they were missed.
Sequestration won't effect the 2013 roll-out of the remaining Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), said CBP during a conference call with industry, according to a notice from the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). CBP also said there won't "be effects on CEE staff," said the NCBFAA. CBP previously raised the possibility that sequestration could slow the openings of the new CEEs (see 13022528).