California Grapes International said it launched its new Broker Alliance Program (BAP), which specifically targets the convergence of the California Wines Industry’s Export Brokers. CGI said international markets pose a significant challenge for the current export brokers due to the competition of well organized, well-supported and often subsidized wine producing countries. BAP is intended to provide a more consolidated international sales effort, in addition to uniform export documents and policies, an in-market presence and the assurance of complying with the proper import procedures and customs registration. Members of“BAP will also become owners of California Grapes International through a stock base incentive program. it said.
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) will be on May 22, 2012 at 1 p.m. (EST) in Savannah, Ga. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking comment on the planned agenda items, according to a notice in the Federal Register May 4, 2012. Online registration for webcast and in-person attendance at the COAC meeting is open through May 18, 2012.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) conference had 542 attendees this year, up from 522 last year, according to the NCBFAA. This year's conference was at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla., April 22-26.
Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization and chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee, reported to the General Council May 1 on progress in the Doha Round, and in particular the work of negotiating groups, according to the WTO. Lamy said the situation had not evolved much since his last report, but that he has a sense that Members wish to explore any opportunities to gain the necessary traction and make tangible progress soon. Highlights of his reports on negotiating groups follow:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released an April update for ACE Trade Account Owners. The update included reminders on the ongoing Document Imaging System (DIS) pilot and the Sept. 29, 2012, effective date for required use of ACE to file advance information for ocean and rail cargo to CBP.
On May 29, the optional import component of the web-based Public Health Information System (PHIS) will be partially operational, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a letter to importers dated April 18, 2012. On that date, in all U.S. official import inspection establishments handling imports of meat, poultry and egg products, PHIS will: (i) provide for a government-to-government electronic transmission of inspection certificate data as an alternative to the paper certification, beginning with Australia and New Zealand; and (ii) begin transfer of 10 data elements from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) to FSIS.
Some Customs broker licenses were inadvertently revoked on November 18, 2011, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a notice a the Federal Register notice May 1, 2012.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided Colombia Free Trade Act system requirements in a CSMS message April 30, 2012.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent a reminder that on September 29, 2012, ACS/AMS EDI Ocean Manifest functionality will be transitioned to ACE as part of the ACE eManifest: Rail and Sea Deployment. When this transition takes place, filers will no longer be able transmit or receive data via ACS/AMS, said CBP. Programming changes to comply with the modified record formats must be made in order to continue filing manifests electronically pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002, it said.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Centers of Excellence and Expertise are game changers in the trade world and are deserving of additional funding from Congress, said Thomas Winkowski, acting deputy commissioner at CBP, speaking at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America conference April 25. Winkowski was a last minute replacement for Acting Commissioner David Aguilar, who was scheduled to speak at the conference but was summoned to the White House, said Winkowski.