Monday Morning eBriefing

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued four general licenses and amended FAQs affected by the four general licenses relating to the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome the following member who has recently joined our association: Guangzhou Detrans Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, China; Yanmei Qin, General Manager (email: overseas@detrans.net)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Core Message Team is sending notices to customs brokers who submit incomplete or incorrect data for licenses, permits, certificates, and other documents (LPCOs) in lines PG13 and PG14 of the APHIS Core Message Set. Federal inspectors rely on this data to inspect and clear commodity shipments entering the U.S. Incorrect or missing data slows cargo clearance. APHIS is working to raise awareness of the incorrect data and improve compliance.

NCBFAA has invited Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus to be our keynote luncheon speaker during the 2022 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill Sept. 18-20.

NCBFAA is asking all members to send us your questions, experiences, and concerns with the recently implemented Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22). Your name and companies will remain confidential during the compilation of this essential feedback. In the interim, we will soon begin sharing the answers to these questions on a rolling basis in the Monday Morning eBriefing. Send your questions and other input to NCBFAA Executive Vice President Megan Montgomery as soon as possible by email at mmontgomery@ncbfaa.org.

As an advocate for the entire industry, NCBFAA provides two key resource documents for shippers and freight forwarders that are available to members and non-members alike. NCBFAA’s Shipper’s Letter of Instruction (SLI) Model and the USPPI Responsibility Sheet simplify the reporting process for both shippers and forwarders and help them explain regulations to key partners and industry representatives.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have continued to postpone their “Container Dwell Fee,” and said they will reconsider its possible imposition on July 22.

The NCBFAA Air Freight Subcommittee’s iSAC (Internal Screening Advisory Council) has created a suggested operations guidelines/checklist for handling ITS cargo.

NCBFAA knows that you as our members are doing their best to keep up with their day-to-day businesses under dire supply chain circumstances, and now add on top of all that the recent flurry of U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. What do these sanctions mean to your business (our industry)? Well, it can be an awful lot, depending on whether you work with customers that had export or import business with Russia prior to invasion.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) unveiled a new database called Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR). The new tool will provide the trade with a simple search interface for identifying import requirements for agricultural commodities.

As we approach the end of the 117th Congress and the upcoming November elections, NCBFAA will be outlining our core issues and what you need to know about the current political landscape in Washington, D.C. during an Aug. 12 webinar from 2-3 p.m. ET.

Here is a summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable:

Every customs broker knows that interacting with Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) can be the most challenging part of their job. The PGA data requirements are often demanding. And, on top of that, there are just so many agencies!

The “Write My Representative” page, located in the “I Want To” section of the hamburger menu/main navigation of the new NCBFAA website, is now available for members to browse and take action on behalf of the customs broker and forwarder industries.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has provided the following guidance for parties wishing to dispute charges assessed by common carriers that they believe may not comply with the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22), which became Public Law 117-146 on June 16.

Here is a summary of the latest customs and cross-border trade regulatory updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Customs Counsel firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg:

The Census Bureau on July 11 in a message to the trade said, effective immediately, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and HTS Codes That Are Not Valid for AES tables have been updated to accept the changes to the July 1, 2022 codes.

Starting July 24, food import entries will be rejected if a DUNS number to identify the FSVP importer is not provided in the FDA Message Set

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has provided guidance to the import industry regarding the increase in Column 2 duties for certain Russian imports in response to the Presidential Proclamation 10420. Effective on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on July 27 for goods entered for consumption, or wit

The NCBFAA Educational Institute (NEI) invites all global logistics professionals to its 8th Annual Global Trade Educational Conference (G·TEC). This two-day event at the InterContinental Magnificent Mile Hotel in Chicago on Aug. 1-2 will give customs brokers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, OTI, service providers, importers, exporters, and all global logistics professionals an opportunity to update themselves on industry developments and connect with colleagues new and old.