The Treasury Department published its spring 2018 regulatory agenda for CBP. The agenda includes two new rulemakings, one involving the prohibition on imports made through forced labor and another on intellectual property rights. The forced labor proposal, expected by August, would "would generally bring the forced labor regulations and detention procedures into alignment with other statutes, regulations and procedures that apply to the enforcement of restrictions against other types of prohibited merchandise," it said. The IPR rulemaking, expected by August, would "create a procedure for the disclosure of information otherwise protected by the Trade Secrets Act to a trademark owner when merchandise bearing suspected counterfeit trademarks has been voluntarily abandoned."

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​

Immigration issues dominated an appropriations hearing for the Department of Homeland Security, but DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said she also wanted to touch quickly on trade. More money is needed to "keep foreign adversaries from stealing our intellectual property" and to enforce trade laws, she said. In prepared testimony that she did not read during the hearing, she said the president's budget "includes funding to enhance the Automated Commercial Environment and to put more attention on high-risk imports while facilitating smaller, legitimate shipments more quickly. The request also includes funding for additional attorneys, trade specialists, and financial specialists to provide adequate support for trade facilitation and enforcement activities."

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 30 - May 4 in case they were missed.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The completion of "core" ACE was a proud moment for Brenda Smith, CBP executive assistant commissioner-trade, but she's aware of the remaining needs for the system, she said during a May 2 speech at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference. "I know we're not done," she said. "Let me say that again. I know we're not done."

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- CBP is considering offering trusted trader benefits to those in the e-commerce world as a way to improve compliance, said John Leonard, executive director-trade policy and programs at CBP, during a May 2 panel discussion at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference. The hope is to "incentivize all these new actors in this space to improve the platforms and marketplaces, etc., to be more compliant," he said. "Part of that could involve the Trusted Trader program" and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, he said. CBP "is looking at this very closely."

CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:​

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The Census Bureau expects to issue proposed rules for routed export transactions by the fall, said Omari Wooden, assistant division chief, International Trade Management Division at Census. Census is in the process of going through many issues raised by industry in comments to the agency (see 1712070039), Wooden said at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference on May 1. "We are the government, so instead of months, we give you seasons, so probably sometime in the fall we're hopeful to come out with something," he said.

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 23-27 in case they were missed.