Livingston International will take part in blockchain pilot involving the Canada Border Services Agency, the company said in an April 3 news release. The pilot will use TradeLens, a "blockchain-enabled digital shipping solution jointly developed" by IBM and A.P. Moller-Maersk, it said. "Livingston will serve as the first customs broker to leverage the TradeLens platform for brokerage automation," the company said. "Livingston's role in the pilot will be to enter and access information on shipments and streamline internal procedures without compromising accuracy or security. The CBSA is participating in the TradeLens pilot to determine what role the platform could play in its business processes."
Commercial trucks coming into the U.S. from Mexico are facing lengthy delays as CBP shifts port of entry personnel to help with border patrol, according to industry updates. "The result is rapidly changing conditions and very long wait times compared to normal operations," C.H Robinson said in a client advisory with multiple port updates. It appears that policymakers are trying to establish rules that would allow freight to continue to flow while restricting the border for people and passengers." CBP's list of border wait times shows wide disparity in length of waits among the Southern ports, though most of the major ports have some delays.
Livingston International will take part in blockchain pilot involving the Canada Border Services Agency, the company said in an April 3 news release. The pilot will use TradeLens, a "blockchain-enabled digital shipping solution jointly developed" by IBM and A.P. Moller-Maersk, it said. "Livingston will serve as the first customs broker to leverage the TradeLens platform for brokerage automation," the company said. "Livingston's role in the pilot will be to enter and access information on shipments and streamline internal procedures without compromising accuracy or security. The CBSA is participating in the TradeLens pilot to determine what role the platform could play in its business processes."
Several departments are to initiate a broad review of current policies and ways to improve measures to prevent the trade of counterfeit goods, the White House said in an April 3 memorandum. Among other things, the administration would like a review of how different parties, including customs brokers, can help stop the trade of counterfeit and pirated goods, it said. The Department of Homeland Security secretary is tasked with developing a report on the subject within 210 days, along with the attorney general, the U.S. trade representative, the assistant to the president for Trade and Manufacturing Policy and other officials, it said.
Additional reductions to trade processing hours along the Southwestern border are likely as CBP continues to shift port personnel to help deal with illegal border crossings, a CBP spokesman said. CBP is in the process of redirecting 750 officers from Ports of Entry, though CBP is authorized to move even more officers as needed (see 1904010026). Asked about the announced end to Sunday service for commercial truck processing at the Port of Nogales, Arizona, CBP responded that "this may happen at other locations as well as we face resource constraints based on the situation on the ground along the [Southwestern border]."
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will not "reduce the service hours for manually processing import declarations transmitted" through the legacy service options "at this time," the agency said in a March 29 notice to industry about integrated import declarations (IIDs). The decision follows industry concerns raised earlier this year, it said. The legacy service options, Other Government Departments (OGD) pre-arrival review system (PARS), or SO 463, and release on minimum documentation (RMD), or SO 471, were set for decommissioning on April 1, 2019, but CBSA said it will instead begin a phased approach on that date (see 1903280062).
The Express Association of America pointed to several specific regulatory changes it would like to see CBP make, in its follow-up comments on the agency's efforts to modernize the customs framework. The EAA comments are the only ones posted since CBP reopened the comment period (see 1903110039) following a March 1 meeting on the subject (see 1903040023). Among other things, EAA said the "current drawback regulations do not support the modern B2C/e-commerce environment."
The FTC’s upcoming study of ISP data collection practices is the right step (see 1903260072), lawmakers told us. Some want big tech companies also under the microscope. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the study is related to Chairman Joe Simons’ response to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (see 1903200073).
The FTC’s upcoming study of ISP data collection practices is the right step (see 1903260072), lawmakers told us. Some want big tech companies also under the microscope. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the study is related to Chairman Joe Simons’ response to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (see 1903200073).
The Canada Border Services Agency plans to again push back the sunset date for legacy release options as part of the Single Window Initiative and Integrated Import Declaration transition, a CBSA spokesman said by email on March 26. Other Government Departments (OGD) service options pre-arrival review system (PARS), or SO 463, and release on minimum documentation (RMD), or SO 471, were set for decommissioning on April 1, 2019, CBSA announced last year. CBSA recently told members of the trade that the sunset date for OGD PARS (SO 463) and OGD RMD (SO 471) will now be in October.