U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a general notice announcing that, effective immediately, applicants seeking to establish importer or broker accounts so as to access the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal (ACE Portal) or to participate in any ACE test, are no longer required to provide a statement certifying participation in the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a press release announcing that it is postponing the enforcement of the Free And Secure Trade (FAST) Card requirement for Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) shipment drivers until May 1, 2005 for the first group of 40 ports.
According to a U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) Textile Development Memo, on January 27, 2005, the government filed with the CIT a motion for a stay (halt) of its preliminary injunction (which is preventing CITA from taking further action on threat-based China safeguard petitions), pending consideration by the CAFC of the government's appeal of the injunction. (USA-ITA TDM, dated 01/28/05, www.usa-ita.com )
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) have announced appointments to the Departmental Advisory Committee on the Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions (COAC).
In an article about the recent shutdown of the ACE Release 4 Truck Manifest pilot in Blaine, WA, The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is optimistic that the shutdown is "temporary" (i.e., weeks, not months) and that programmers are already at work fixing the problems. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/05/05 news, 05010505, for BP summary on the shutdown.)
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources, the recent amendment to 19 USC 1505(a) providing 12 working days to deposit estimated duties (from 10 working days), is a "technical amendment" and does not affect the actual time line for the deposit of estimated duties.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a memorandum stating that CBP is revising its procedures, effective immediately, for Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS) entries in order to reduce the work load for Customs brokers and CBP Officers.
According to a U.S. government source, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not broadened paperless entry procedures to include textiles and apparel that became quota-and visa-free for exports on or after January 1, 2005.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice on its Web site announcing that the next Customs Broker License Examination will be held on Monday, April 4, 2005.
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that Representative Millender-McDonald has introduced legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a shipment profiling plan for imported loaded and empty containers, inspection of merchandise at foreign ports and issue final rules for biometric identification cards for seaport employees. The article notes that Representative Millender-McDonald introduced a virtually identical bill in October 2003 that died in committee at the end of the 108th Congress. (JoC Online dated 01/10/05, www.joc.com.)