Monday Morning eBriefing

NOAA Fisheries on May 21 released its Report on Initial implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program.

Today's golf clubs are generally made of prefabricated components consisting of a head, shaft, and grip. Recently, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in CSMS #47830638 advised the trade how to enter golf clubs when manufactured and assembled in multiple countries with Chinese-originating components subject to Section 301 duties.

The Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) recently received several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information related to FWS-regulated imports and exports provided by importers and exporters on Form 3-177 between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2020. FWS is notifying the trade community that businesses have until June 1, 2021, to file an objection to the request.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) on May 18 introduced a bill to re-instate the lapsed Generalized System of Preferences with new labor and environment conditions.

Chris Magnus, currently chief of the Tucson Police Department in Arizona, has been nominated by the Biden Administration to service as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

In back-to-back hearings on May 12-13, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testified before the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, respectively, on President Biden's 2021 Trade Policy Agenda.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plant inspection stations (PIS) remind filers that Entry Status Notifications (SO70) are sent through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for cargo destined to a PIS. Filers will first receive an APHIS automated "may proceed" notification followed by either a request to correct or update their APHIS Core message sets, as necessary.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened a new portal for food importers to submit their Food Supply Verification Program (FSVP) documents. The FSVP requires importers who are designated as FSVP importers to conduct activities to verify that their foreign suppliers are producing food in accordance with U.S. food safety standards. When requested in writing by the FDA, FSVP importers must provide FSVP records to the agency electronically. The new portal is meant to facilitate this process.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on May 12 formerly asked the Mexican government to review whether workers at a General Motors plant in the country are being denied the right of free association and collective bargaining.

NCBFAA is aware that there have been issues for customs brokers with the eCBP Portal in properly reporting their triennial report and paying the $100 permit fee to Customs and Border Protection.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted its most recent schedule for ACE functionality development and deployment this year.

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:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 12 said it will invest $46 million to enhance the security and efficiency of rail cargo inspections at U.S. border crossings with Canada and Mexico.

The NCBFAA Export Compliance Subcommittee recently reviewed the new National Single Window for Egyptian Trade Across Borders, which becomes mandatory July 1, and analyzed the impacts of the program on freight forwarders.

Each CBP port auto desk has its own process for validating exports of Used Self-Propelled Vehicles (under 19 CFR 192), generally due to their experiences and local challenges.

The May 2-5 NCBFAA 48th Annual Conference -- "Zooming into the Future of Trade" -- in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was an amazing success in terms of both informative and timely content and in-person and virtual attendance.

With the growing trend of importing fresh cut flower bouquets into the U.S., CBP issued a new Fact Sheet to remind importers of their obligations under the country-of-origin marking requirements.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refreshed its webpage for the Office of Enforcement and Import Operations.

Many attendees at the NCBFAA Annual Conference have requested links mentioned in the Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) Town Hall presentation. We take this opportunity to share these useful links:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is excited to share a new video presenting the vision for the 21st Century Customs Framework (21CCF).