The 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona, is being held April 6-9. For those members who are unable to attend this year’s event, we urge you to look forward to the 53rd NCBFAA Annual Conference to be held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas, on April 12-15, 2026. Keep in mind to register as soon as possible, since this industry-leading event will undoubtedly be another sold-out event!

The NCBFAA Customs Committee’s HTS Sequencing Working Group led by Myra Reynolds of John S. James Co. has developed the HTS Sequencing Toolkit which provides important information to NCBFAA Regular Members about the requirements for Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) sequencing.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is currently soliciting for a Centralized Examination Station (CES) in the Area Port of Houston/Galveston, Houston Seaport. Applications for the CES will be accepted for 60 days, from April 4 to June 3.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Atlas Freight Forwarding, Border Connect Logistics dba R&R Global, Precision Customs Brokers, Sabin International Logistics Corp., Schulz Trade Law, and The Global Zolutions, 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 legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

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

The NCBFAA Customs Committee is monitoring the potential imposition of the reciprocal tariffs on countries which have disproportionately higher tariffs on U.S. goods as early as April 2 and what that will mean to customs brokers. In addition, the White House intends to impose 25% tariffs on imported cars and light trucks and certain vehicle parts as early as April 3, and some countries may be subject to additional tariffs of 25%, starting April 2, for importing oil from Venezuela. In addition, President Trump indicated that he will soon announce tariffs on lumber, pharmaceuticals, and possibly on computer chips, among other products.

The National Marine Fisheries (NMFS) reached a settlement with three wildlife advocacy groups in a Court of International Trade (CIT) case. In return for dismissal of the case, NMFS promised to adhere to a timeline for implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which requires the government to ban fish from fisheries that do not meet U.S. standards for protecting marine mammals.

The trade associations that comprise the North American Customs Brokers Alliance (NACBA) expressed their endorsement for the continuation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which entered into force on July 1, 2020, and is currently undergoing review by the three countries to extend the agreement for another 16 years.

The sold out 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona, to be held on April 6-9 is now just around the corner. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., is monitoring on behalf of our customs broker members the recent letters sent to more than 20 countries by the Trump administration calling for the implementation of varying amounts of tariffs to be imposed by 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 1, as well as the imposition of 50% tariffs on copper imports. This memo also provides key tariff-related guidance provided to the trade by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 15 will deploy a new drawback claim error message in the ACE production environment.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has recently released enhancements and new features on the agency’s website bis.gov.

The U.S. Supreme Court on July 9 lifted a lower court that blocked nearly a dozen federal government agencies from implementing layoffs and reorganizations involving hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The decision paves the way for these agencies to move forward with the reorganization and reduction-in-force plans, as required by Executive Order 14210 issued in March. The reorganization plans have been on hold since the May 2 injunction.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 9 announced an immediate shutdown of livestock imports from Mexico after a new world screwworm (NWS) case was reported north of the previous infestations. The announcement came just days after a risk-based phased port reopening strategy for cattle, bison and equine began.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., is monitoring on behalf of our customs broker members the recent letters sent to more than 20 countries by the Trump administration calling for the implementation of varying amounts of tariffs to be imposed by 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 1, as well as the imposition of 50% tariffs on copper imports. This memo also provides key tariff-related guidance provided to the trade by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 15 will deploy a new drawback claim error message in the ACE production environment.

The U.S. Supreme Court on July 9 lifted a lower court that blocked nearly a dozen federal government agencies from implementing layoffs and reorganizations involving hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The decision paves the way for these agencies to move forward with the reorganization and reduction-in-force plans, as required by Executive Order 14210 issued in March. The reorganization plans have been on hold since the May 2 injunction.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 9 announced an immediate shutdown of livestock imports from Mexico after a new world screwworm (NWS) case was reported north of the previous infestations. The announcement came just days after a risk-based phased port reopening strategy for cattle, bison and equine began.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) abruptly rescinded its policy allowing de minimis for five product categories — a policy dating back to 1994. This means all shipments of these previously exempt products will now require a PGA Message Set.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., is monitoring on behalf of our customs broker members the recent letters sent to more than 20 countries by the Trump administration calling for the implementation of varying amounts of tariffs to be imposed by 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 1, as well as the imposition of 50% tariffs on copper imports. This memo also provides key tariff-related guidance provided to the trade by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 15 will deploy a new drawback claim error message in the ACE production environment.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has recently released enhancements and new features on the agency’s website bis.gov.

The U.S. Supreme Court on July 9 lifted a lower court that blocked nearly a dozen federal government agencies from implementing layoffs and reorganizations involving hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The decision paves the way for these agencies to move forward with the reorganization and reduction-in-force plans, as required by Executive Order 14210 issued in March. The reorganization plans have been on hold since the May 2 injunction.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 9 announced an immediate shutdown of livestock imports from Mexico after a new world screwworm (NWS) case was reported north of the previous infestations. The announcement came just days after a risk-based phased port reopening strategy for cattle, bison and equine began.