CBP is in the midst of a rewrite of its Part 146 Foreign Trade Zones regulations that will include modernizing and automating current procedures, as well as eliminating burdensome requirements that serve CBP no purpose, said David Murphy, acting assistant commissioner in the CBP office of field operations. The reforms will “improve efficiencies, and remove redundancies and burdensome paper requirements, while at the same time balancing the need to expedite cargo and maintain security,” he said at the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones 2013 Regulatory and Legislative Seminar Feb. 12 in Washington, D.C. CBP is also close to finalizing changes to its in-bond regulations, and the final rule could come out in May or June, another official said.
The election of half of the board members for the National Custom Brokers & Forwarders Association of America begins later this month. Nominations and nominating petitions are due Feb. 22. If there's a contested election, proxies will be sent to members in the areas represented by March 8. The results will be announced April 8 at the annual meeting in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Feb. 11-14 Annual Advanced ITAR Compliance Conference, Westin Alexandria, Alexandria, VA -- http://bit.ly/Xwe9Av
Marken promoted Dan Bell to the newly-created position of vice president, regulatory compliance and technical affairs. Bell is a licensed customs broker and certified customs specialist.
Descartes Systems Group is extending its cloud-based Air Messaging services across all Descartes OneView customers, it said. “Through this service, forwarders and brokers can enhance air cargo management capabilities by seamlessly connecting and exchanging shipment data and documents with air carriers,” the company said in a press release. OneView customers will be able to exchange air waybills, house bills, and status messages electronically with more than 90 global air carriers, Descartes said.
Baltimore-based customs broker and international freight forwarder Samuel Shapiro & Company launched a Humanitarian Services Program recently to assist international relief organizations with logistical needs. Delivery of donated goods in places with weak infrastructure often results in logistical issues, and in such cases Shapiro will use its “industry connections to secure low-cost services with partnering agents, steamship lines, and truckers,” it said. Its first project involved shipment of donated insulation panels to Word of Life Fellowship’s dining hall in Honduras.
Farrow Group announced its acquisition of Kitchener, Canada-based customs broker W.Pickett & Bros. Feb. 4. The operations and staff of Pickett will be rolled into the infrastructure of Russell A. Farrow Limited. Farrow Group is the largest privately owned customs broker in Canada, and has offices in the northern U.S. and Los Angeles.
CBP issued a Jan. 31 directive to the agency's field offices about the processing and reporting of quota-class merchandise. The directive specifically provides information on determining the time of presentation of the entry summary, which establishes quota priority and status, it said. The directive points to the regulations from 19 CFR Sections 132, 141, and 24 to give guidance on the reporting of quota-class merchandise.
Notice of Agreements Filed (here)
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Jan. 28-Feb. 1 in case they were missed.