Monday Morning eBriefing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will no longer use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) CSMS to issue informational messages. The agency will now issue these messages directly to the trade using our own automated notification system.

The Canadian Apparel Association will hold a webinar on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations on Nov. 11. U.S. customs brokers with Canadian apparel importer clients will want to share this information with their Canadian clients.

We are thrilled to share that registration for the 53rd NCBFAA Annual Conference has opened with incredible momentum — in fact, it’s taken off like gangbusters! Interest is at an all-time high, and we’re already seeing registrations and hotel rooms fill up faster than ever. If you haven’t registered yet, we strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible to guarantee your place at this year’s event.

NCBFAA on Nov. 3 submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in which it voiced “strong support” for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) but with enhancements. Through its “Ten Point Plan,” NCBFAA outlined essential points to enhance USMCA so that the agreement provides a transparent and uniform framework in which customs brokers and freight forwarders can operate to achieve compliance with the USMCA and its intended objectives.

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) previously reported on the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Import Certification requirements for certain shrimp and spice products from Indonesia's Java and Lampung Provinces due to contamination risks from Cesium-137. This is the first time that FDA has used its authority to require Import Certification, which requires certification by a designated Indonesian entity before products leave the port of export.

Customs brokers and importers should be aware that the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is requesting additional information from importers on specific shipments of squid from Argentina. The information is not a permanent new requirement but is being requested on a case-by-case basis.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Blufenix International and EDI Software Solutions which have recently joined our association. We're so excited to have these firms join our organization and we are happy to assist in any way we can! NCBFAA also acknowledges Regular Member corporate name change for Piatek Customs & Logistics LLC.

A summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

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 NCBFAA Customs Committee has provided some additional information to customs broker members as it relates to the Oct. 16 Federal Register notice for the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) modification to the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) Test for Periodic Monthly Statements (PMS).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Oct. 31 published CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) updates with changes pertaining to the addition of the Altana ID Global Business Identifier (GBI) and the expansion of the GBI field character limit. CBP expects to deploy these changes to the Certification software testing environment on Nov. 6.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., are tracking the upcoming Nov. 5 oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the legality of the IEEPA tariffs imposed since the start of this year by the Trump administration. In addition, the Committee makes customs broker members aware of recent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) guidance for import entry filings related to the Nov. 1 medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus tariffs and the duty offset for auto part imports.

Past NCBFAA President Amy Magnus will receive the coveted Centurion Award during the closing ceremony of the 53rd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in Texas on April 15. Register today for this industry-leading event and join us in celebrating this remarkable and well-deserved achievement by Amy Magnus.

NCBFAA encourages Members to routinely check our special Government Shutdown Resources webpage for updates and announcements which are added as soon as they are received from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Partner Government Agencies (PGAs). The shutdown has now entered its fifth week.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a fact sheet reminding the trade of the requirements for filing an entry for dog imports. The fact sheet reviews the appropriate tariff classification. The HTS includes seven possible tariff classifications, ranging from U.S.-origin dogs returning with their owner to dogs imported for commercial sale or adoption.

The NCBFAA Export Compliance Subcommittee on Oct. 29 submitted comments to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) regarding the expansion of end-user controls to cover affiliates of certain listed entities, or the “Affiliates Rule.” The association’s comments highlight the scope of the role that freight forwarders play, as well raising concerns that the rule may negatively impact the freight forwarding industry and broader U.S. trade competitiveness.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said on Oct. 30 that it has automated the process for applying for a new ACE Secure Data Portal (ACE Portal) top account with the Importer sub-account view, and if needed, trade parties with an existing CBP Form 5106 (5106 record) on file with CBP and without existing ACE Portal account access should now use the new automated application to apply for ACE Portal access with the Importer sub-account view.

A summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Bestway International, Bres And Saenz Agents, Rene Ortiz Villafane, and SeaVantage, which have recently joined our association. We're so excited to have these firms join our organization and we are happy to assist in any way we can! NCBFAA also acknowledges Regular Member corporate name changes for Blue Ridge Transfer, LLC dba BRL International dba Blue Ridge Logistics, Stroth & Associates LLC, and KLN Freight (USA), Inc.

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