On March 3, 2008, the Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule establishing the procedures it will use in conducting a referendum on whether to replace the existing Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order with the proposed Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order. The voting period for the referendum will be from April 2-16, 2008.
In February 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a Post Entry Amendment (PEA) frequently asked questions document to its Web site.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced its goal of introducing a modernized Partners in Protection (PIP) program by June 30, 2008. The modernized program will require members to adhere to stricter, better-defined and targeted security measures to strengthen border and supply chain security.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously announced that the next customs broker license examination will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Eyewear Frames and Eyewear.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a new informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Classification and Entry Requirements of Alcoholic Beverages and Spirits.
During the February 13, 2008 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC)1, CBP officials discussed, among other things, the 100% scanning pilot and Global Trade Exchange (GTX) aspects of the Secure Freight Initiative2.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Classification of Children's Apparel.
CBP has posted an updated version of its guidance on the Automated Commercial Environment update deployed on February 2, 2008 that enabled electronic in-bond requests filed via the Automated Broker Interface message QP to update a shipment record that is reported in a truck ACE e-Manifest with a shipment release type of Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS).
During a February 22, 2008 press conference call, several trade members of the Trade Support Network1 discussed a variety of issues, including an update on the status of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's proposal to have a minimal number of edits and validations in the Automated Commercial Environment system (commonly referred to as "Edit-Lite").2