Monday Morning eBriefing

Starting Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. ET, CBP’s Office of Field Operations resumed operations at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. The rail bridge had been closed by the agency since Dec. 18 in an attempt to control the flow of migrants at the border.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Dec. 19 has amended entry requirements for the importation of certain plants for planting from Canada to prevent introduction of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis, BTM) into the U.S.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently deployed updates to Organizational Broker account functionality in the modernized ACE Portal.

NCBFAA encourages all eligible attendees to register early for the 2024 Annual Conference to secure your spot and be part of the excitement.

NCBFAA submitted comments on Dec. 22 to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in response to an Oct. 25 interim final rule and request for comments with two recommendations.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced in a Dec. 13 Federal Register notice that it has changed the date for its next semi-annual examination for individual customs broker licenses to May 1.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Atlantic Shipping, FastISF.com, Martinez-Gonzalez y Cia U.S. Customshouse Broker, and TKK Customs Brokers which have recently joined our association.

Top Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) officials, including Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller and FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei, have been invited to speak on leading trade and transportation matters important to customs brokers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, OTIs, and service providers during the NCBFAA’s 51st NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa on April 14-17, 2024.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Dec. 11 issued a joint compliance note outlining steps parties to a transaction can take to stay compliant with U.S. export control and sanction regulations.

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

National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America President J.D. Gonzalez said the trade group thinks the Customs Modernization Act is heavily focused on enforcement, and the group is “a little disappointed” that some of the items that NCBFAA talked about with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., didn’t find their way into this bill.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that its new eSTAR tool is now available for certain voluntary Premarket Approval (PMA) submissions for medical devices.

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

NCBFAA on Dec. 12 emphasized to the Biden Administration during a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-hosted Supply Chain Roundtable the vital role that customs brokers and freight forwarders play in the global supply chain, particularly their expertise ensuring regulatory compliance over commercial U.S. imports and exports.

The Customs Business Fairness Act (CBFA) (H.R. 1453), which was inserted into the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill in the House as section 596 of the bill, has not made it to the House floor for a vote yet. Congress attempted to move it forward after Thanksgiving, but there are some controversial provisions that prevented the bill from moving to the full House for consideration. The NCBFAA Legislative Committee will continue its push for inclusion of the bill in the final compromise version.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Jan. 27 will deploy the automation of CBP Form 6051D for detentions of cargo filed in ACE, including Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) detentions in ACE.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Jan. 16 will nationally implement cargo messaging to communicate with the filer on entry summaries that are potentially noncompliant for antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) while the entry summaries are in trade control.

The National Organics Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided this Searchable HTS Code update that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Software vendors and customs brokers have been eager to see the details of the CATAIR so they can prepare for the March 19 implementation date for filing the electronic import certificate for certified organic products.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said “Save Time, Submit Online,” when it announced that the submission period for the 2024 Customs Broker Triennial Status Report (TSR) and associated $100 filing fee for all licensed customs brokers opens Monday, Dec. 18.