Monday Morning eBriefing

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has stepped up outreach to the trade to increase awareness of DEA import and export requirements. DEA officials recently visited several local customs broker associations to spread the word about importer and exporter requirements under the Controlled Substances Act with particular emphasis on chemicals that can be used to manufacture fentanyl.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during an Oct. 1 call with the trade that no refunds of any type, including drawback, ACH, etc., are part of the excepted functions currently allowed by the agency during the government shutdown since they’re tied to appropriations.

Employers who participate in E‑Verify must create an E‑Verify case by Tuesday, Oct. 14, for each employee hired while E‑Verify was not available. You must use the hire date from the employee’s Form I‑9 when creating the E‑Verify case, according to a message to businesses from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Area Port of Houston/Galveston has selected East Coast CES as operator of a Centralized Exanimation Station (CES) for the Port of Houston.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on a call with the trade Oct. 6 provided an update to the ACE Secure Data Portal to support electronic refund transactions in accordance with Executive Order 14247. The enhancements enable authorized trade users to provide U.S. bank information in the ACE Portal, facilitating electronic refunds from CBP via Automated Clearing House (ACH).

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome ConnectPoint Brokerage, General Noli USA, Jesus M. Munoz dba United Brokers, Splendid Packaging, and Vasquez Customs Brokers, 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.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is leveraging the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov service to modernize payment processing and provide the public with an online bill payment option.

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

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule, effective Sept. 30, relaxing license requirements and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on Americans and the industry. This rule rescinds a previous interim final rule published on April 30, 2024, which expanded controls and license requirements for firearms.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., highlight the Trump Administration’s imposition of additional Section 232 tariffs on timber, lumber, and derivative products imported into the U.S., starting for entries made on or after Oct. 14, and the Sept. 30 expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Haiti HELP/HOPE. The Committee will provide related Customs and Border Protection (CBP) guidance to our customs broker members as soon as it’s received.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Sept. 30 updated the ACE Secure Data Portal to support electronic refund transactions, in accordance with Executive Order 14247. The enhancements enable authorized trade users to provide U.S. bank information in the ACE Portal, facilitating electronic refunds from CBP via Automated Clearing House (ACH), the agency said.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Oct. 3 provided the trade with the key requirements for the new fees to be applied to vessels owned, operated, or built in China, and for all foreign-built vehicle carrier vessels, effective Oct. 14.

NCBFAA encourages Members to routinely check our special Member-Only 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).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said during an Oct. 1 call with the trade that the agency is currently “open for business” during the government shutdown and the ports of entry are fully staffed and operational to clear cargo and perform other trade-related functions.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Oct. 3 that it will require import certification for shrimp and spices from certain regions of Indonesia, based on the risk of potential contamination of the food with Cesium-137, effective Oct. 31. This represents the first use of this Congressional authorized tool to address ongoing food safety problems.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Aspenview Technology Partners, Capital 4 Trade, CAX US Customs Brokers, and JND Customhouse Broker, 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!

Effective Sept. 30, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced it will cease issuing paper checks for disbursements, including tax refunds and drawback, as directed in Executive Order 14247. This includes importers who receive tax benefits for imported alcohol under the Craft Beverages Manufacturing Act (CBMA).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the launch of a new Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) pilot program for Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs). This initiative, authorized under the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act of 2023, will open the door for 3PLs to participate in CTPAT.