The proposed minimum information requirements for broker verification of importer clients includes some onerous provisions that could reduce the use of customs brokers, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in comments to CBP on the proposal (see 1908130031). The proposal seems to let self-filers avoid the verification requirements, which seems likely to promote the use of self-filing by the parties that are being targeted by CBP, the group said. Comments on the proposal are due Oct. 15.
CBP may soon implement increased bonding requirements for new importers that are bringing in merchandise subject to antidumping and countervailing duties, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) Intelligent Enforcement Subcommittee said in a report. CBP hopes to issue a Federal Register notice in August setting new single transaction bond requirements as early as Sept. 21 or Sept. 28, the report said. But the COAC will recommend the new requirements be delayed until bonding formulas can be worked out, the report said.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) for CBP will next meet Aug. 21, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT, in Buffalo, New York, CBP said in a notice.
CHICAGO -- The discussion around including forced labor compliance within Trusted Trader requirements is ongoing after the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee issued recommendations on the subject, said Manuel Garza, director of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. "Some of them we agreed with, some of them we didn't agree with," he said. "There's probably going to be a couple of new recommendations that COAC is going to provide back to CBP for the next COAC meeting." Garza spoke July 24 at the CBP Trade Symposium.
Top Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee and Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, along with Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, have introduced a reauthorization bill for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. The bill includes changes that would improve CBP program management and information sharing and collaboration with industry.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company ship that was found to be carrying a record 20 tons of cocaine was seized by CBP on July 4, the agency said in a July 8 news release. Last month, CBP found and seized over a billion dollars worth of cocaine aboard the MSC Gayane, which put MSC's Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism status into question (see 1906240037).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for June 24-28 in case they were missed.
A recent CBP seizure of about $1.1 billion worth of cocaine aboard a Mediterranean Shipping Company ship has the company working to regain its status in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, MSC said an advisory to its customers. MSC said its CTPAT certification was suspended and not revoked. CBP seized the cocaine on the MSC Gayane while it was at the Philadelphia seaport, the agency said in a June 21 news release.
CBP is extending the comment period to July 5 for an existing information collection for applications for Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the Trusted Trader Program, it said in a notice. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the information collected or to the estimated burden hours associated with the collection.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its spring 2019 regulatory agenda for CBP. There were no new trade-related rulemakings included.