U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Area Port of Buffalo will hold its first “Trade Day” on Thursday, May 3, 2012. The event will provide an opportunity for members of the trade community to meet with CBP and other government officials responsible for facilitating the importation of their goods. The Trade Day activities will be at U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Office, 726 Exchange St., Suite 400, Buffalo, NY, from 10 am to 1 pm. The event is free, but on-line registration is required.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and TSA have released their Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Pilot Strategic Plan. ACAS allows CBP and TSA to receive advance security filing cargo data as a means to target cargo shipments inbound to the United States that may be high risk and require additional physical screening under the appropriate regulatory framework and protocols. According to CBP, ACAS will allow express carriers, passenger air carriers, freight forwarders, and all-cargo air carriers to send and receive security filing data through CBP's Automated Targeting System (ATS).
Officials from Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency reiterated the details of the "Beyond the Border" action plan during townhall meetings in Niagara, NY and Toronto on February 28-29, 2012. The presentations describe specific actions and 2012-2014 target dates to achieve goals such as: (i) common data elements for advance cargo screening; (ii) mutual recognition of air cargo security programs for passenger aircraft; (iii) attempted alignment of Canada’s Customs Self Assessment (CSA) and the U.S. Importer Self Assessment (ISA) programs; (iv) assessment on ways to move wood packaging material inspections away from the border; etc.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a presentation that gives an overview of the Importer Self-Assessment Program. The overview describes the program and its vision; the requirements for participation and benefits; the application process; the need for a risk-based approach, internal controls and best practices. The presentation also gives the percent of ISA members by industry, and the value percentage of ISA shipments
The European Commission has announced that Neri Spa of Livorno, Italy has become the 10,000th Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) at the European Union-level. AEO status at the EU level identifies safe and reliable businesses that are engaged in international trade. As a result, Neri Spa will become a highly trusted partner at customs checks and fewer inspections of goods will be necessary and formal customs procedures will be quicker to fill. The EU has stated that it wants its major trade partners across the globe to recognize the AEO status to facilitate and protect international trade. Switzerland, Norway, and Japan mutually recognize the EU's AEO label. The EU expects mutual recognition with the U.S. soon. A similar agreement is also being negotiated with China.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has submitted a proposed rule entitled "Disclosure of Information for Certain Intellectual Property Rights Enforced at the Border" to the Office of Management and Budget for approval.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 5 - March 9, 2012 in case they were missed last week.
At the February 21, 2012 COAC meeting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials discussed ongoing work on the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs). They provided information on the post-entry processing CEEs would do for "trusted partners" and the benefits they would receive. CBP officials also stated that CEEs would be virtual ports and that the agency's regulations may need to be amended to "line up" with what the CEEs will do. COAC's Trade Facilitation Subcommittee also listed certain metrics that could be used to measure the success of the CEEs.
At the February 21, 2012 COAC meeting, CBP and COAC’s Global Supply Chain Security Subcommittee provided an update on various land border security issues. Officials discussed CBP’s development of C-TPAT for exports, possible Tier 3 status for Mexican and Canadian highway carriers, and the C-TPAT Web Portal 2.0, among other topics.
In testimony before Congress, Acting Assistant Commissioner Kevin McAleenan and other CBP officials stated that CBP's primary trade enforcement initiative in FY 2012 will be to enhance its intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement capacity. Another priority trade issue will be enforcing the collection of antidumping and countervailing duties. Officials stated that CBP is also initiating enhanced inspections based on risk, followed by exams, of pharmaceutical, electronic and apparel products. Members of CBP's trusted trade programs (C-TPAT, ISA, National Accounts, and CEEs) will be exempt from this effort.