U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice announcing that the 2005 annual $125 user fee that is assessed for each Customs broker permit and national permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation is due by January 21, 2005.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice which outlines the procedures that must be followed when processing quota-class merchandise under the Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS).

In an earlier edition of International Trade Today, Broker Power had substantially transcribed what is now known as the first draft version of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) New C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers.

Although Broker Power had been informed that a document that was largely transcribed in ITT's November 12, 2004 issue was the 'second draft' of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's proposed new C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers, that document may actually have been the 'first draft,' as Broker Power has obtained another draft version entitled: "Draft 2 - C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a November 10, 2004 version of its September 13, 2004 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding the mandatory advance electronic cargo information requirements for trucks.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a November 10, 2004 version of its September 13, 2004 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding the mandatory advance electronic cargo information requirements for trucks.

Press sources recently reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had circulated an initial draft of new Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) security standards for importers among select importers for comment. Press reports had also indicated that CBP was expected to issue a second draft of the new C-TPAT security standards for importers within a week and hoped to issue final standards by early December 2004.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a news release announcing that Taiwan has agreed in principle to resume imports of U.S. beef and beef products. The news release states that Taiwan officials indicated that the required assessments and evaluations for trade to resume were nearing completion. (USDA news release no. 0468.04, dated 10/26/04, available at http://www.usda.gov/documents/NewsReleases/2004/10/0468.doc.)

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a press release announcing that at an October 27, 2004 meeting, among other things, it voted to issue a proposed rule that would allow non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) to offer NVOCC Service Arrangements (NSAs), which would be individually-negotiated contracts between NVOCCs and their shipper-customers. NVOCCs that utilize these arrangements would be exempt from the tariff publication requirements of the Shipping Act of 1984 (Act).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site the October 2004 Customs broker exam and answer key.