According to Congressional sources, Congressional documents, and press reports, the House-Senate conference that is resolving differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of H.R. 1 (the bill to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission), has adopted an amendment that sets deadlines for the overseas scanning of U.S.-bound cargo containers (in lieu of the different scanning provisions previously passed by the House and Senate).
During a recent speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Basham discussed a variety of cargo security issues.
During a recent speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Basham discussed a variety of cargo security issues.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and New Zealand signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement at the 109th/110th World Customs Organization Council Sessions held in Brussels, Belgium to assist the two nations in safeguarding global trade.
On June 15, 2007, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2638, the fiscal year (FY) 2008 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, etc.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a notice to its Web site announcing its final selection of "validators" for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism third-party validation program.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on June 30, 2007, the U.S. and Korea signed the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA). According to the press release, the KORUS-FTA is the most commercially significant FTA the U.S. has concluded in nearly 20 years. (USTR press release, dated 06/30/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/June/United_States_the_Republic_of_Korea_Sign_Lmark_Free_Trade_Agreement.html.)
Washington Trade Daily reports that key House and Senate lawmakers announced on June 26, 2007 that they had reached agreement on an eight-month extension of the Andean trade preferences program, and have the intention of passing an extension measure before the program's expiration on June 30, 2007. (WTD, dated 06/27/07, www.washingtontradedaily.com)
CBP has updated the following chapters of its "Laboratory Methods" Guide: 4, 7-9, 11, 12, 15, 17-22, 24-35, 38-42, 44, 47-64, 68-76, 78-81, and 85. Requests for copies of "Laboratory Methods" should be sent to cbp.labhq@dhs.gov. (List of updated chapters, posted 06/14/07, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/operations_support/labs_scientific_svcs/technical_documents/lab_methods/)
During the May 15, 2007 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), DHS officials discussed, among other things, DHS' draft report entitled "Security to Enhance International Supply Chain Security."