Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for December 27-30, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
At the December 7, 2011 COAC meeting, the COAC Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Rights and CBP provided an update on their activities. COAC made recommendations for facilitating legitimate trade, including a C-TPAT-like supply chain partnership program for IPR and a distribution chain management serialization concept for validating the authenticity of goods. CBP announced that it had submitted a legislative proposal to Congress on sharing unredacted samples.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for December 19-23, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued its Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2011, which provides detailed financial information relative to DHS' mission and stewardship of resources entrusted to the department. As part of the report, DHS outlines ways in which it has overcome specific challenges related to CBP's oversight of the Importer Self Assessment (ISA) and cargo security that were identified in a November 2011 report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG).
On December 16-17, 2011, the House and Senate agreed to the conference report on H.R. 2055, a bill to provide appropriations for most federal government agencies1 for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, including the DHS (which includes CBP, ICE, and TSA). Although H.R. 2055 contains $11.7 billion for CBP, an increase of $362 million over the FY 2011 level, FY 2012 funding would be reduced for automation modernization, international cargo screening, C-TPAT, etc. (Note that some press reports suggest that the President wants an agreement on the payroll tax cut before he will sign H.R. 2055 into law.)
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General has issued a November 2011 report identifying the major management and other challenges the department faces. Among these include U.S. Customs and Border Protection's lack of oversight tools to ensure that participants in the Importer Self Assessment (ISA) program comply with federal requirements; and CBP's lack of controls over the Single Transaction Bonds process. Challenges also remain with agencies' examination of high-risk cargo.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an overview and a list of frequently asked questions and answers on its Industry Integration Centers, which were formerly referred to as Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEE). Among other things, CBP provides information on who can participate in these Centers, how these Centers will affect the processing of shipments, and what benefits they provide.
At the December 5, 2011 COAC meeting, COAC and CBP officials discussed various issues related to the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), including a C-TPAT pilot for exporters. COAC and CBP are also working to gather information on providing tiering benefits to C-TPAT highway carriers. In addition, CBP is urging COAC input on enhancements to the C-TPAT web portal.
The following are details of the “Beyond the Border” Action Plan agreed to by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper on December 7, 2011. The plan includes 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.
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking comments on the “Beyond the Border” Action Plan announced by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper on December 7, 2011. The plan, which sets specific actions and dates, is one of the agreed steps to help the two countries realize the goal of a “perimeter approach” to security and economic competiveness declared by the two leaders in February 2011.