CBP plans to publish an official notice in coming weeks that will begin a pilot program that combines the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the Importer Self Assessment (ISA) programs, said Acting Commissioner Tom Winkowski during the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) meeting on Nov. 15. The COAC Trusted Trader subcommittee is reviewing and will provide feedback on a "high level overview" of the coming Federal Register notice, said a report on the program's process from Valerie Neuhart, director of Industry and Account Management at CBP (here).
Cargo processing delays and exams continued to be the largest challenge faced by importers and brokers, according to the second annual trade efficiency survey, which was released Nov. 8 by CBP. The survey, completed in July by the Advisory Committee On Commercial Operations (COAC), is meant to be a look at CBP's trade facilitation efforts and success at lowering costs of compliance. The retroactive system of antidumping/countervailing duty orders seems to have a disproportionate effect on the trade industry considering the amount of discussion and controversy the issue creates, the survey said. The survey was among a large set of COAC materials released by CBP (see 13111227).
CBP posted its draft agenda and 23 other documents for the upcoming Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) meeting on Nov. 15, which include the results of the 2013 trade efficiency survey, draft recommendations, and other documents on trade modernization, the global supply chain, trade enforcement and other topics. The draft agenda is (here). The trade survey (here) will be summarized in more detail in a future issue of ITT.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 4-8 in case they were missed.
NEWTON, Mass. -- As CBP wraps up implementation of its Centers for Excellence and Expertise, the next focus for the agency will be on exports, said Acting Commissioner Tom Winkowski in a speech at the Northeast Cargo Symposium on Nov. 7. "The area of exports represents a huge opportunity," said Winkowski at the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT) event. "If we're going to be competitive in the world market, we have to reduce costs in how we do business day in and day out," he said. That means ensuring compliance not only with U.S. export requirements, but also with the regulatory system in the importing country so that goods aren't held up at the port overseas.
CBP is up to 1,626 total Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) validations, including 432 initial validations and 1,194 revalidations, the agency said in an update on C-TPAT achievements. CBP has said it plans to get through 2,200 validations this year (see 13060627). There has also been a total of 1,719 suspensions and 1,261 C-TPAT removals.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in case they were missed.
Customs brokers and importer self-filers in CBP's Simplified Entry pilot will no longer be required to have Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) status to test the program, CBP said in a notice. The agency is expanding the pilot program and officially rebranding it as the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Cargo Release test, said CBP.
CBP released the agenda for the Nov. 15 meeting with the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (COAC) in Washington, D.C. CBP also said the meeting will be available online and registration is available (here).
CBP will likely take into account the various compliance difficulties that are created by the government shutdown, said former Acting CBP Commissioner David Aguilar, who now works at Global Security and Intelligence Strategies, a consulting firm. "Where there is latitude within the statutes or within the authority or the policies," consideration of some the problems created by the shutdown will likely be involved, he said in an interview. "Where timely information is a requisite" and "that information flow is unavailable, that will certainly be taken into account." As the government shutdown appears likely to move into its third week, resolution of the budget issues remain uncertain.