CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- A wide-ranging update to the trade-related regulations of agencies outside CBP may not be possible by the 2016 deadline for completion of the International Trade Data System (ITDS), said CBP Office of International Trade Commissioner Brenda Smith. "People rarely want to change regulations," she said Oct. 17 at the Western Cargo Conference. "My guess is that, there is a lot more work than we are going to be able to get to by 2016," she said. Still, the Border Interagency Executive Council is already discussing ways to make improvements, such as aligning differing definitions between CBP and the Food and Drug Administration for unique identifiers and port facilities, she said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- It's important that the port directors and field operations directors have the authority to shift and move resources in order to reduce exam times and cargo slowdowns, said CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske on Oct. 18 while speaking at the Western Cargo Conference. CBP could also use additional manpower, said Kerlikowske. While Congress approved a fiscal year 2014 funding increase to hire 2,000 additional CBP officers in fiscal year 2014, which the agency is still in the process of hiring, the White House asked for another 2,000 for FY2015 (see 14040301).
CBP New York/Newark released statistics in a pipeline notice showing the "cycle time measurement" of Centralized Examination Stations from April through October. The cycle times refer to the time from ocean container arrival, as transmitted via the Automated Commercial Environment, through final examination completion release date.
Debbie Augustin, previously with the CBP Office of Information and Technology, will take over the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Business Office as the acting executive director, said Brenda Smith, assistant commissioner for the Office of International Trade and the previous head of the ACE, during the Western Cargo Conference on Oct. 17. Among the reasons Augustin is a good fit in that role is that she's an "absolute pitbull on deadlines," said Smith. Glen Vereb will be the acting executive director for the Office of Regulations and Rulings, said Smith. Vereb, previously executive director of the Border Security and Trade Compliance Division, takes over for Sandra Bell, who was promoted to deputy assistant commissioner (see 14100714).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
A working group consisting of food, drug and device importers, customs brokers, express carriers and government representatives presented a lengthy list of recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration on how to improve its import process, during a Oct. 7 meeting of the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC). Trade members of COAC urged FDA to improve messaging and add new data elements and functionality to the Automated Commercial Environment, as well as allow for advance data submissions and improve outreach to the trade community.