California legislators voted to require wireless eligibility for state broadband funds on the last day of their session Thursday. Wireless is a “reliable substitute … when it’s impossible to use fiber,” said Assembly Communications Committee Vice Chair Jim Patterson (R) in an interview Friday. The Utility Reform Network (TURN) prefers fiber and remains opposed.
CBP posted the following documents ahead of the Sept. 20 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Trade Law Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. All articles can be found by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
CBP recently completed its first interoperability test, which focused on the pipeline oil and steel supply chains, the agency announced in a Sept. 12 news release. Vincent Annunziato, director of CBP’s Business Transformation and Innovation Division, said 23 companies participated in the test as part of a broader effort to promote global interoperability in how software systems work with each other.
The Bureau of Industry and Security’s top export enforcement official this week urged customs brokers, forwarders and non-vessel operating common carriers to be more proactive in export compliance even though they may not always have the “primary” responsibility for ensuring goods comply with U.S. export licensing restrictions. Matthew Axelrod, the BIS assistant secretary for export enforcement, said those service providers should take steps to ensure they have maximum visibility into their clients and the goods they are shipping.
Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel expects the government to eventually scrutinize certain rail storage fees imposed by ocean carriers on through bills of lading, he said during an industry conference this week. He also said the FMC is “very close” to finalizing its rule on detention and demurrage billing requirements and wants to better address issues involving service contract disputes between carriers and shippers.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, with importers bearing the burden of proof, is the No. 1 forced labor compliance issue, panelists said, outpacing disclosure and due diligence laws in other countries around the world.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The U.S. and defendants led by importer Precision Cable Assemblies settled a False Claims Act case on allegedly underreported imports of wire harness assemblies. The suit was originally brought by Travis Grob, former vice president of operations at the Wisconsin-based Precision Cable Assemblies, as a qui tam action, giving Grob a cut of the settlement (United States v. Precision Cable Assemblies, E.D. Wis. # 22-00570).