Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 18-22, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
During recent trade events1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials provided an update on efforts to enhance intellectual property rights protection by engaging in (i) enhanced targeting; (ii) partnership programs; (iii) international collaboration and capacity building; (iv) the Pharmaceutical Center for Excellence and Expertise2, as well as well as by (v) issuing penalties.
On April 14, 2011, Senators Collins (R)1 and Murray (D) introduced the SAFE Port Reauthorization Act (S. 832) in order to allow DHS to waive the 100% scanning deadline for maritime cargo if several conditions are met, provide additional benefits to Tier 2 and 3 Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) participants, authorize CBP to conduct unannounced inspections of C-TPAT security measures, and require congressional notification of mutual recognition arrangements.
On April 14, 2011 at the annual U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trade Symposium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection discussed supply chain security partnership programs, like the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), and its efforts to help other countries develop such programs.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 11-15, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
On April 14, 2011 at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s annual Trade Symposium, the Director of Mexican Customs’ Secure Supply Chain Program discussed Mexico efforts to develop and pilot its Alliance for Secure Commerce (PACS, Programa Alianza para el Comercio Seguro), a supply chain security program. He also discussed Mexico’s Strategic Plan to fund infrastructure improvements.
During the April 13-14, 2011 U.S. Customs and Border Protection annual Trade Symposium. CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin reiterated his goal to increase participation in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, and said that he would like to see the program grow from just over 10,000 to 40,000 participants within the next seven years1. He also stated that C-TPAT members needed to receive more benefits, and that DHS was examining the possibility of a single, department-wide trusted trade program for cargo.
On April 14, 2011, Senators Collins (R), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Senator Murray (D) introduced a bipartisan bill on several port security programs now in place in the U.S. which provide anti-terrorism protections designed to safeguard the nation’s critical shipping lanes and seaports from attack and sabotage.
On April 13, 2011 at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s annual Trade Symposium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection described its new “broker revision” initiative and received input from the trade on the changing role of the broker.
On April 12, 2011, the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) met in Washington, DC to discuss a variety of trade issues, including defining the role of the broker, automation, management by account pilots and intellectual property rights protection.