Monday Morning eBriefing

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Business, Industry, and Infrastructure Integration (OB3I) announced the launch of its new National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) Dashboard.

NCBFAA leaders, led by Legislative Advisor Nicole Bivens-Collinson, canvassed Capitol Hill on Jan. 3 as House and Senate lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C., following the end-of-year recess.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on Jan. 8 announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year Master Contract. The two sides agreed to continue to operate under the current contract until the union can meet with its full Wage Scale Committee and schedule a ratification vote, and USMX members can ratify the terms of the final contract.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Jan. 7 released “Adapting Trade Policy for Supply Chain Resilience: Responding to Today’s Global Economic Challenges,” a series of six policy papers on trade and investment policy initiatives that promote supply chain resilience.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the updates separate imported e-cigarette products from all other tobacco products and provide clearer instructions to FDA staff in the field, as well as our federal partners and the wider trade community – including importers, customs brokers, filers, and others.

International trade and customs law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. (ST&R), announced Jan. 6 that five experienced international trade attorneys from customs law firm The Law Office of Lawrence W. Hanson, P.C. have joined the firm, establishing an ST&R presence in Houston.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Nubian Logistics and Tom Gould Customs Consulting, 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!

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

According to press reports at the end of 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) are expected to resume formal bargaining negotiations on Jan. 7. The NCBFAA Transportation Committee continues to monitor this situation and will provide our members with the most up-to-date information in the weeks ahead.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Dec. 30 issued CSMS #63564703, which announced that, effective Jan. 1, the severity for AES Response messages 5C2 and 5C3 will be changed from Informational to Fatal.

The Census Bureau has updated its tables for Schedule B, Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), and HTS Codes “That are Not Valid” for the Automated Export System (AES). The outdated codes expired Dec. 31, 2024, with the new codes taking effect Jan. 1.

It’s the beginning of a new year, and what better way to enhance your industry knowledge and facilitate your day-to-day business than by registering to attend the industry-leading 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on April 6-9, 2025.

President Biden issued an Executive Order for the closure of executive departments and federal government agencies on Jan. 9 in observation of the recent passing of former President Jimmy Carter.

With the 484(f) Committee Changes to the HTS and Schedule B taking effect Jan. 1, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) immediately began working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update the affected HTS codes in ACE and with 1USG to adjust flagging for commodities covered under AM4.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a policy statement on Jan. 2 stating it is “an appropriate venue where private parties may bring class actions to resolve disputes covered by the statutes the agency administers.”

The NCBFAA Export Compliance Subcommittee, supported by the Transportation Committee’s legal counsel Venable LLP, has submitted detailed comments on behalf of the Association in response to the Census Bureau’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding updates to the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Dec. 31 provided guidance to the trade on the modifications made to the Section 301 China Tariff Four Year Review which increases tariff rates on five subheadings of the HTSUS for certain tungsten products, wafers, and polysilicon.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to revise regulations to provide for electronic entry filing of data from the Certification of Admissibility (COA) form, which standardize and consolidate existing permit, reporting, recordkeeping, and entry filing requirements and allow nations to use their own aggregate catch documentation.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted that the Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2420, announced in CSMS 63540760, includes tariff flagging updates for Partner Government Agencies (PGAs).

Starting Jan. 1, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff at Champlain, New York will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, and on Sunday from 3 to 11 p.m. ET.