The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) for CBP will next meet remotely March 31, CBP said in a notice. The meeting will be the first for the newest COAC members. Comments are due in writing by March 28.
A White House task force recently created to examine supply chain disruptions (see 2106090021) should not ignore problems with air freight caused in part by surging demand brought on by delays and congestion at ports, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in a March 4 letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
More than 30 trade groups asked the Federal Maritime Commission to extend the public comment deadline as it considers new demurrage and detention billing requirements (see 2202070026 and 2202140002). A March 3 letter to the FMC -- signed by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the Consumer Technology Association and others -- requests a 30-day extension to the March 17 deadline.
The Court of International Trade should not permit the U.S. to add an entire customs broker license exam to the record of a case contesting the results of one individual's exam results, counsel for Byungmin Chae argued in a March 7 reply brief. There are no "extraordinary reasons" that warrant the inclusion of the entire 80-question exam, as only five questions are being contested, Chae said (Byungmin Chae v. Secretary of The Treasury, CIT #20-00316).
More than 30 trade groups asked the Federal Maritime Commission to extend the public comment deadline as it considers new demurrage and detention billing requirements (see 2202070026 and 2202140002). A March 3 letter to the FMC -- signed by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the Consumer Technology Association and others -- requests a 30-day extension to the March 17 deadline.
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Citing the expanded use of telemedicine, FCC commissioners unanimously adopted a Further NPRM seeking comments on changes to the rural healthcare program’s telecom program’s rates determination rules and to the healthcare connect fund’s internal funding caps, during the agency’s monthly meeting Friday (see 2202170031). They also adopted an order requiring Aureon to submit information needed to calculate refunds to its customers, and a $45 million fine against a company that made more than 500,000 robocalls that violate Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel also said the FCC plans a notice of inquiry on receiver standards, which has been before the agency for 20 years.
A lawsuit at the Court of International Trade filed by an individual who failed their customs broker license test was assigned to Judge Mark Barnett, in a Feb. 17 order. The case was filed by Shuzhen Zhong (see 220211002) without an attorney and requests a review of the six questions that Zhong appealed to CBP in the test. Zhong took particular issue with CBP's getting both her address and gender wrong when returning the results of her appeal. While no attorney is listed for Zhong, Luke Mathers of the Justice Department's International Trade Field Office appeared for the government (Shuzhen Zhong v. United States, CIT #22-00041).
Shipping company Planet Nine Private Air's counterclaims in a case on the company's alleged gross negligence in handling a hemp shipment should be "dismissed in their entirety," plaintiff We CBD said in a reply brief filed at the District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. We CBD argued that many of the claims are conclusory and do not allege any facts and will also be resolved during the litigation of We CBD's claims (We CBD v. Planet Nine Private Air, W.D.N.C. #21-00352)
CBP is requesting comments on new data elements meant to help with vetting members of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, it said in a notice. "Additional information is being collected based on CTPAT’s new vetting process as the prior vetting process was found to be insufficient in being able to identify violators," the agency said. "Not collecting this information would result in companies that are high risk for committing illegal activity to be allowed into, and continue to be part of, the CTPAT program." CBP’s National Targeting Center found the previous "vetting process to be ineffective in capturing high risk companies," resulting in such companies being "allowed to be CTPAT members and enjoy the many trade facilitation benefits of membership," it said.