U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a news release entitled, "Securing America's Borders - CBP 2008 Fiscal Year in Review," which provides details on the progress CBP made securing U.S. borders in FY 2008.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued its final rule, effective May 6, 2009, on the submission to FDA of prior notice (PN) of food, including animal feed, which is imported or offered for import into the U.S.
CBP and China Customs concluded a second round of joint Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) supply chain security validation visits during the week of November 17, 2008. CBP C-TPAT Supply Chain Specialists supported China Customs officials while they conducted validations of 15 C-TPAT companies and their manufacturing facilities located in China.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a notice announcing that it will be holding its 2009 Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism supply chain security seminar on April 1-3, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice announcing that the next meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC)1 will be held on November 20, 2008 in Washington, DC.
At the recent 2008 Trade Symposium, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection attach stationed in China provided an update on various Customs-related activities in China.
On October 27, 2008, the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security to express its views on the process of finalizing CBP's proposed "10+2" rule1.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Web site the C-TPAT eligibility requirements, implementation plan, and minimum security criteria for third party logistics providers (3PLs). (C-TPAT eligibility requirements, implementation plan, and minimum security criteria for 3PLs, posted 09/30/08, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/cargo_security/ctpat/third_party/.)
In August 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a general notice on the statutory requirement that all maritime containers in transit to the U.S. that arrive by vessel at a port of entry in the U.S. on or after October 15, 2008, be sealed in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization Publicly Available Specification (ISO/PAS) 177121 for mechanical seals.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Unified Business Resumption Messaging Web site messages providing a port status update in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The most recent message was issued at 5:00 p.m. EST on September 19, 2008. In addition, CBP issued an alert on Hurricane Ike port closures (as of 9:00 a.m. EST on September 22, 2008). According to the alert, the Presidio port of entry and Galveston Seaport are closed. CBP has also issued a UBRM message at 5:00 p.m. EST on September 19, 2008 stating that due to flooding, the Presidio, Texas port of entry is closed. CBP has also updated its Web page entitled, "CBP Responds to Hurricane Ike." In addition, CBP has issued a news release stating that it is continuing Ike recovery missions and resuming limited Houston Seaport operations. (Web sites, documents hyperlinked)