The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association recently posted to its website presentations from its annual conference held April 18-20 in Tucson, Ariz. The presentations (here) cover the following topics:

CBP will test automation and prepayment of commercial truck single-crossing fees as part of an effort to eliminate cash and credit card collections, the agency said in a notice (here). "The automation and prepayment option for the single-crossing user fee will reduce wait times, improve primary processing, save costs to truck carriers associated with idling time (such as gas and lost driving hours), and alleviate CBP officers of the administrative functions pertaining to the collection, accounting and transmittal of user fee collections," the agency said.

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

The National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking input into the development of a trusted trader program for seafood imports, it said (here). Recommended by an administration task force in 2015 (see 1503160016), the trusted trader program “will provide benefits such as reduced targeting and inspections and enhanced streamlined entry into U.S. commerce for certified importers,” said NMFS. The program would be available for holders of International Fishery Trade Permits (IFTP) subject to recently proposed Seafood Import Monitoring Program documentation and recordkeeping requirements for high-risk seafood imports (see 1503160016), though NMFS is considering including other importers and members of the supply chain, such as customs brokers. NMFS said it will hold public webinars on the development of the program on May 4, May 10 and June 6. Comments are due June 28, and should address the following:

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

As progress continues on ACE and the International Trade Data System, the conversation is shifting to "what we're going to be able to see stemming from this new major IT capability," said Christa Brzozowski, Department of Homeland Security deputy assistant secretary, Trade Policy, Foreign Investment and Transport Security. The government will be looking for ways to "institutionalize" the gains made and "embed these principles and policies at the national level," she said at the April 27 meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC).

CBP should announce mandatory ACE filing dates “as soon as possible” for any agencies or entry types for which mandatory filing dates have not yet been announced, said the Commercial Customs Advisory Committee (COAC) in a recommendation formally adopted at a meeting held April 27. Some importers surveyed say their brokers are waiting for the announcement of the deadlines, particularly for Food and Drug Administration data, before they start filing in ACE, while brokers need to know when agency data will be required so they can adequately plan their development and training efforts, said COAC members during the meeting.

CBP should take a new look at its penalty mitigation guidelines, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) recommended during its April 27 meeting. A more "uniform" application of mitigation policies, which were last updated in 2004, is needed "in light of technology advances, trusted trader programs, and inter-agency enforcement partnerships," the COAC Trade Enforcement and Revenue Collection subcommittee said. "Particularly in cases of less egregious violations, CBP should enforce and mitigate on more of an account-based, as opposed to transactional approach," it said.

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

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 18-22 in case they were missed.