The Congressional approval June 29 for HR-4348, which would extend funding for surface transportation programs for two years, means some new regulations for domestic transport brokers but largely exempts brokers dealing with international trade, said a top lobbyist who worked on the legislation for customs brokers. The National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) and other trade groups were able to mitigate the legislative language and effect on customs brokers, said Jon Kent, a lobbyist with Kent & O'Connor who works on the behalf of NCBFAA, in an interview. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.
New company members of the National Custom Brokers and Forwarders Association of America include: Regular members EH Harms USA, Inc., Baltimore, Md., Gava International Freight Consolidators, Bensenville, Ill., HOC USA, Inc., Tonawanda, N.Y., OTX Logistics, Miami Beach, Fla., and NorthStar Shipping & Trading, Houston, Texas; Affiliate members Amber Road, East Rutherford, N.J., Interstate Personnel Global Logistics Division, Torrance, Calif., and Veroot, Medina, Ohio.
The Federal Maritime Commission granted an extension of the deadline for comments on its inquiry into whether it should develop and publish freight rate indices. The comments had been due July 9, but the FMC extended the comment period to Aug. 8.
The customs broker’s license examination scheduled for October 2012 will be on Wednesday, Oct. 3, said CBP in a notice in the Federal Register July 3. While usually scheduled for the first Monday in October, this year the first Monday coincides with the observance of the religious holiday Sukkot, said CBP.
The House and Senate voted June 29 to approve HR-4348, a transportation bill that will continue funding surface transportation programs for two years. The legislation will next go to President Obama, who is expected to sign the measure. A deal was reached recently as part of a conference to iron out differences between separate legislation. The bill includes new financial requirements for brokers, but exempts federally licensed customs brokers who are already subject to other federal financial requirements.
July 1 Basic Guide to Exporting: Satisfying Int'l Product Certification Requirements webinar -- Doug.Barry@trade.gov
CBP will hold a roundtable discussion on the overhaul of customs brokers regulations July 13 in Boston, it said in a public information notice. The discussion will include a presentation from Elena Ryan, acting director of trade facilitation at CBP. The event will take place from 10 AM to 12 PM. The event will take place in the first floor auditorium in the Thomas P. O’Neill Federal Building, 10 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02222. Registration is (here). Contact: Roger Yokell (617) 565-6152 or roger.yokell@dhs.gov. Email documents@brokerpower.com for a copy of the notice.
CBP is looking into establishing a pilot program that would waive the requirement to maintain a place of business within the district where customs business is being conducted, allowing for more virtual transactions, said CBP officials June 28. The officials spoke during a CBP Webinar on "Modernizing broker permitting requirements," the third of several Webinars on changes to broker regulation.
Lawmakers reached a deal on the transportation bill that will continue funding surface transportation programs for two years. The deal was reached as part of a conference to iron out differences between separate legislation. Press reports said the bill was expected to pass this week.
CBP said it will seek to modify CBP Form 5106 to "more proactively collect information about importers that can be vetted by CBP." The Form 5106 revisions will apply only to new importers and others requiring an importer number for doing business with CBP, it said. CBP recently posted written responses to questions that came up in its June 7 Webinar exploring an update on broker regulations.