On May 26, 2005, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing on the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
| Proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Commerce | 05/26/05 | Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary; Senate Committee on Appropriations |
| The report to Congress on international economic and exchange rate policies | 05/26/05 | Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs |
| How counterfeit goods provide easy cash for criminals and terrorists | 05/25/05 | Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs |
| The Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), focusing on how Customs utilizes CSI and C-TPAT in connection with its other enforcement programs and review the requirements for and challenges involved in transitioning these from promising risk management concepts to effective and sustained enforcement operations | 05/26/05 | Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs |
| Piracy of intellectual property | 05/25/05 | Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; Senate Committee on the Judiciary |
| \"Evaluating the threat of Agro-Terrorism\" | 05/25/05 | Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment; House Committee on Homeland Security |
| Does China Enact Barriers to Fair Trade? | 05/26/05 | Subcommittees on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture and Technology and Tax, Finance and Exports; House Committee on Small Business |
| Mark up of H.J. Res. 27, Withdrawing the approval of the U.S. from the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization | 05/24/05 | House Committee on Ways and Means |
The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions (COAC) held its quarterly meeting on May 5, 2005 in Washington, DC during which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials provided an update on the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site an April 2005 version of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Application. According to CBP, this application consists of four documents: ACE Account Portal Power of Attorney, Terms and Conditions for Account Access of ACE Portal, Additional Account/Account Owner Information, and ACE Secure Data Portal Request to Participate.
During U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) recent Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Supply Chain Security Training Seminar in Miami, FL, CBP Commissioner Bonner spoke about a number of C-TPAT-related issues, including:
The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has unveiled Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Plus, which will provide participants with a "green lane" (i.e., no inspections upon arrival and immediate release of cargo). However, the article notes that even if importers obtain immediate release from CBP, other government agencies, including the FDA and USDA, can hold up cargo for hours, days, weeks, or months with little evidence of a violation. (JoC, dated 04/11/05, www.joc.com)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a presentation from the April 18-21, 2005 Supply Chain Security Training Seminar for certified Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) members held in Miami, FL.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a notice announcing that the next meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions (COAC) will be held on May 5, 2005 in Washington, DC. (This committee was previously called the "Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. Customs Service.")
The Wall Street Journal reports that Mexico's maquiladora industry, considered an indicator of U.S. manufacturing strength, witnessed significant hiring turnaround in 2004, as employment increased for the first time since 2000. (WSJ dated 03/22/05, www.wsj.com.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has updated its document on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entitled Information for New Accounts - Account Activation Process, which summarizes the relevant data to be gathered and submitted by trade participants and explains the Account Access Privileges for each user-type (i.e. brokers, carriers, and importers) to access the ACE Secure Data Portal.