Monday Morning eBriefing

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Afar Logistics, Bull Customs Brokerage, Columbus-Cargo USA, Gaia Dynamics, Intera Trade & Customs Services, and Quick Release, 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) proposes to update CBP Form 301 instructions to add reference to a new collection under activity code 21 for a Low Value Shipment Safekeeping (LVSS) bond. In a Dec. 23 Federal Register notice, the agency has requested comments from the trade regarding this proposal.

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently released an updated Section 1260H List of entities designated by the agency as “Chinese military companies”. The list’s primary prohibition, which is expected to take effect next year, is limited to new government contracts.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Saturday, Jan. 11, deployed the second release of the Section 321 – Does Not Exceed $800 in Aggregated Shipments enhancement to ACE. This enhancement will provide a warning in ACE when a de minimis shipment may exceed the $800 per person/per day threshold. This release will include electronic data interchange (EDI) impacts.

If you’re a Licensed Customs Broker and an NCBFAA member, you can earn continuing education credits if you register to attend the 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on April 6-9, 2025.

Many leaders are looking to outsource HR administration tasks by leveraging expert HR advice, technology, and HR tools to gain a competitive advantage, maintain data privacy, and enhance employee productivity. Read this Paychex article to discover the insights from our survey and consider how they can inform your business strategy in the coming months.

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) has posted an updated Cargo Release Condition Codes document to the cbp.gov website. Specifically, new codes 228 and 229 have been added for De Minimis.

NCBFAA is keeping our Los Angeles-area member companies and their staff and families in our thoughts and prayers, as they bravely face deadly fires that have devastated area communities. “Words cannot fully express the utter sadness that our association feels for our L.A. members and their families, as well as the community at large, for the terrible loss resulting from these deadly fires,” said NCBFAA President Jose D. (JD) Gonzalez.

The recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the Electronic Export Manifest (EEM) for rail transportation represents a significant development for NCBFAA members.

It's official! The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Jan. 8 published the final rule to implement electronic filing of Certificate information for regulated, imported consumer products. CPSC extended the mandatory deadline to 18 months, or July 8, 2026 (and for entries from an FTZ, the deadline is Jan. 8, 2027.

NCBFAA on Jan. 6 provided comments in a white paper to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding the agency’s in-bond process and policy with goal to achieve what the association said is “a path forward that mutually serves the facilitation and enforcement demands upon CBP and customs brokers as well as other in-bond filers.”

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!