CBP plans to revoke hundreds of customs brokers' licenses by operation of law, without prejudice, for failure to file the 2021 triennial status report and applicable fee, it said in a notice. CBP’s list includes the broker name (individual or company), license number and port name associated with the licenses being revoked.
Taiwan is encouraging exporters to alert its Bureau of Foreign Trade if they encounter certain issues shipping goods to China, the bureau said last week. China’s customs agency has reportedly detained goods originating in Taiwan if the items aren’t labeled as "Made in Taiwan, China,” the foreign trade bureau said. Beijing objects to any insinuation on product labeling that suggests Taiwan is a separate territory and not a part of China (see 2208080026). Taiwan said exporters with detained goods in China should provide the bureau with “relevant information, such as the customs ports, importers, customs brokers, and descriptions of goods.” Then, the Taiwan Customs agency will contact China's Customs to deal with the situation.
The misclassification of 543 entries of metal lids was simple negligence, not a fraudulent scheme, importer Crown Cork & Seal said in its motion to dismiss parts of an amended government complaint. The motion asks the court to dismiss counts of fraud and gross negligence, leaving only the negligence count (United States v. Crown Cork & Seal, USA, CIT #21-00361).
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week issued a new set of frequently asked questions covering the Entity List, Russia-related export controls and Russia-related sanctions evasion.
House Democrats demanded information Tuesday about law enforcement agencies buying data through data brokers and potentially circumventing statutory requirements. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote to heads of DOJ, the Homeland Security Department, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The House Judiciary Committee had a hearing on digital dragnets in July (see 2207190058), where there was bipartisan interest in government data collection practices. “These data sets -- collected, packaged, and sold by private companies -- have far-ranging uses from benign microtargeting, to invasive digital profiles, to real-time location tracking,” Nadler’s office wrote. The committees want full details about the “agency practice of purchasing commercial data to sidestep legal protections against unreasonable search and seizure.”
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America sent a letter to the Federal Maritime Commission last week requesting guidance on Ocean Shipping Reform Act regulations. In an Aug. 15 email to members, NCBFAA said it asked the FMC for more “clarity” on OSRA provisions that restrict common carriers from invoicing parties for detention and demurrage unless the invoice includes certain required information. The group also asked the commission about the fee dispute process; made “inquiries with respect to the treatment of ocean carrier vendors, such as railroads and chassis pools”; and asked about new, prohibited conduct for common carriers. NCBFAA asked FMC to explain “to what extent do these new prohibitions and requirements, especially for invoicing, apply to marine terminal operators, customs brokers, freight forwarders, breakbulk agents, and other entities assessing and invoicing” fees.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America sent a letter to the Federal Maritime Commission last week requesting guidance on Ocean Shipping Reform Act regulations. In an Aug. 15 email to members, NCBFAA said it asked the FMC for more “clarity” on OSRA provisions that restrict common carriers from invoicing parties for detention and demurrage unless the invoice includes certain required information. The group also asked the commission about the fee dispute process; made “inquiries with respect to the treatment of ocean carrier vendors, such as railroads and chassis pools”; and asked about new, prohibited conduct for common carriers. NCBFAA asked FMC to explain “to what extent do these new prohibitions and requirements, especially for invoicing, apply to marine terminal operators, customs brokers, freight forwarders, breakbulk agents, and other entities assessing and invoicing” fees.
Two importers each will pay seven-figure sums to settle False Claims Act lawsuits related to the undervaluation of their customs entries and underpayment of duties, DOJ said Aug. 11. Apparel importer Luchiano Visconti and its manager, Sasha Hourizadeh, will together pay $3.64 million to settle allegations they sent fraudulent invoices to their customs broker that understated the actual price paid. In a separate settlement, Eos Energy Storage will pay $1.02 million to resolve allegations that it failed to declare assists and other additions to transaction value.
Two importers each will pay seven-figure sums to settle False Claims Act lawsuits related to the undervaluation of their customs entries and underpayment of duties, DOJ said Aug. 11. Apparel importer Luchiano Visconti and its manager, Sasha Hourizadeh, will together pay $3.64 million to settle allegations they sent fraudulent invoices to their customs broker that understated the actual price paid. In a separate settlement, Eos Energy Storage will pay $1.02 million to resolve allegations that it failed to declare assists and other additions to transaction value.
The U.S.'s "unreasonable delay" in asserting claims seeking to collect antiduming duties on entries of canned mushrooms brought in between 2000 and 2001 warrants dismissal of its case at the Court of International Trade seeking the duties, surety company American Home Assurance Co. (AHAC) argued in an Aug. 1 reply brief. Responding to the court's request for more briefing over AHAC's affirmative defense and claims of prejudice, the surety company said that it has not been able to actually provide significant evidence of actual harm "despite best efforts," but that the case should be decided on statute of limitations grounds (United States v. American Home Assurance Company, CIT #20-00175).