CBP and other agencies tested the procedures for resuming cargo operations at the Port of Savannah following a disaster, CBP said in a press release (here). "This exercise included 30 representatives from CBP, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Chatham, Ga., Emergency Management Agency, Georgia Ports Authority, and the Independent Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Savannah," said the agency. The Jan. 21 test also looked at the resumption procedures for expedited Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism cargo release, it said.
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Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program participants should be aware of an increased use of Global Positioning System jamming devices, said CBP in an alert (here). "GPS jamming devices pose a serious risk to conveyance security, as the integrity of a shipment may be compromised without the knowledge of the importer or the transportation company," said CBP. While most often used for cargo theft," the ability of a jammer to conceal the location of a shipment demonstrates that these items may be used to carry out any number of illicit activities including the smuggling of illegal drugs, weapons, stowaways, or other contraband," said CBP. CBP also warned C-TPAT members of the risks to the supply chain related to cybersecurity (here). The agency advised C-TPAT members to develop a cybersecurity risk management plan and to consult a National Institute of Standards and Technology draft on supply chain risk management (here).
The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) for CBP will next meet on Feb. 11 in San Francisco, CBP said in a notice (here). Recommendations for CBP on regulating customs brokers' collection of importer bona fides information are among the agenda items planned for the meeting. A COAC group previously put off making recommendations on the subject while the agency developed a proposal on a new Form 5106 (see 13111801). CBP proposed revisions to the form in October (see 14100815).
CBP approved OHL's request for Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) participation, the company said in a press release (here). The validation comes after the company submitted a security plan in 2013, it said. The company said the validation process was rigorous and included the vetting of OHL customers and vendors.
CBP is actively discussing how to harmonize its Trusted Trader program with similar program in Canada and Mexico, said Maria Luisa Boyce, senior trade advisor at CBP, during a Dec. 4 webinar hosted by Integration Point. "We are in conversations with Canada and Mexico on how we align our programs," she said. CBP is testing a new Trusted Trader program that combines the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism supply chain security program with the Importer Self Assessment (ISA) import compliance program (see 14101019).
Commissioner Joseph Mohorovic vowed to find funding for the product safety component of the Trusted Trader program, at a Dec. 3 hearing on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s fiscal year 2015 operating plan. The current draft of the operating plan (here) allocates no money for development the program, despite the need for further incentives to remedy a lack of participation from industry, according to agency officials. The commission is scheduled to vote on whether to adopt the plan on Dec. 12.
The U.S. and Singapore intend to increase cooperation on customs issues though two newly signed agreements, said CBP in a Dec. 1 press release (here). CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement with Singapore, allowing CBP to consider involvement in Singapore's Customs' Secure Trade Partnership as similar to participating in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program. Kerlikowske also signed a U.S.-Singapore Customs Mutual Assistance Recognition Arrangement (CMAA), said CBP. The Singapore CMAA, one of 72 CBP has with various countries, provides "legal framework for the exchange of information and evidence to assist countries in the enforcement of Customs laws, including duty evasion, trafficking, proliferation, money laundering, and terrorism-related activities," said CBP.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 17-21 in case they were missed.
CBP's Port of Seattle office provided additional guidance for industry on how to deal with port disruptions related to labor contract disputes on the West Coast. The Nov. 19 trade information notice largely reflects the updates from a July CSMS message (here). CBP updated a June 24 guidance (see 14062423) to include more details on how to handle shipments of FDA-regulated products. It also gives information for customs brokers whose shipments have been diverted to another district where the broker is unpermitted, updates procedures for cargo diverted to another West Coast port, and says part of CBP’s plan is to “provide front-of-the-line benefits and priority processing to partners in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program.”