The House Appropriations Committee released its Department of Homeland Security fiscal year 2015 (FY15) funding legislation, which includes a $219.6 billion boost in discretionary appropriations for CBP from FY14 levels (see 14011423). The legislation would authorize $10.78 billion in discretionary appropriations for CBP, of which $3.27 million should come from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. The committee is seeking to appropriate $8.3 billion of the total discretionary appropriations for customs, agricultural inspections and other primary agency activities. The bill would also provide $810 million for the CBP operation and improvement of automated systems, including $141 million mandatory appropriations for the Automated Commercial Environment. The Appropriations Committee legislation requires $481 million in funds to remain available through FY19 for the operation, maintenance and repair of land ports of entry. The CBP appropriations are $98.3 million above the President Barack Obama’s FY15 request, according to the committee. The funding would support 23,775 CBP officers, said a committee fact sheet on the bill (here). The bill would also deny Obama's proposal to increase aviation passenger security fees and CBP user fees (see 14031217), it said.

As CBP’s work on Air Cargo Advance Screening enters into its rulemaking phase, trade officials gave their final recommendations on the program during the May 22 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) in Miami. In its final update, the COAC Supply Chain Committee’s ACAS working group urged the alignment of work between CBP and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on the program, as well as international harmonization of similar projects.

The Importer Security Filing (ISF) reports for the month of May 2014 are now available in the Automated Commercial Environment Portal, said CBP in a CSMS message. The reports were expected to be posted to the ACE Portal the week of May 16, CBP said previously (see 14051226).

Members of the trade community recommended that CBP work toward an automated system that would allow greater control over the right to make entry, at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) held May 22 in Miami. That would help address enforcement issues related to identity theft and, combined with additional data requirements and automation for CBP Form 5106, would replace an earlier idea that changes be made to Part 111 broker regulations related to powers of attorney. CBP officials attending the meeting praised the suggestion of an automated system, with an official involved in the development of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) saying similar capabilities are already in place.

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) recommends that CBP remove the district permitting requirement and make other changes to broker regulations, said a CBP document posted ahead of the May 22 COAC meeting (here). The COAC recommendations call for new national permit framework that would require customs brokerages to employ an "adequate number of licensed brokers to ensure responsible supervision and control." The potential changes for the permitting regime has sparked some concerns among brokers, even leading to the creation of a "Save a Broker" letter writing campaign (see 14042918).

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker unveiled the next step of the National Export Initiative (NEI) during a May 13 event hosted by Atlantic Media. The initiative aims to help U.S. firms locate customers and identify markets abroad, while helping to finance export orders, said Pritzker. She said the administration would work with trade partners to adopt best practices that facilitate commerce. "For example, we’re holding more workshops for customs officials in Guatemala, Peru and the Dominican Republic," she said. Pritzker also reiterated the administration's commitment to complete the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) by 2016.

CBP New York/Newark released statistics in a pipeline notice showing the "cycle time measurement" of Centralized Examination Stations from January through March. The cycle times refer to the time from ocean container arrival, as transmitted via the Automated Commercial Environment, through final examination completion release date.

The Importer Security Filing (ISF) reports for the month of May 2014 will be delayed in getting posted to the Automated Commercial Environment Portal, said CBP. The reports should be posted to the ACE Portal the week of May 16, it said.

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

The recently elected National Customs Brokers & Forwarders President Geoffrey Powell will work to engage members on coming changes to the Automated Commercial Environment and export control reform, he said to association staff, according to a NCBFAA press release. “CBP’s ACE drop dates are on schedule which means all members must be using it by November 2015 if they want to stay in business,” said Powell, who is president of C.H. Powell. “That’s why we are working with our Affiliate Association partners to initiate local outreach efforts in their areas to ensure that both their members and the software vendors serving them are ready for ACE.” Powell will also work with government agencies on ways to facilitate export activity as part the National Export Initiative and will help familiarize new exporters on the processes involved, he said.