The NCBFAA Customs Committee continues to monitor the turbulent IEEPA tariff actions emanating from the White House, such as the April 9 Executive Order suspending the country-specific tariff rates until 12:01 a.m. ET on July 9, 2025, and further amending the duty rates of China goods which are shipped by international postal service. The Customs Committee is also reviewing the Executive Order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” which addresses the section 301 investigation into China’s efforts to dominate this industry.

The White House on April 3 published its Report to the President on the America First Trade Policy in which President Trump instructed the Treasury and Commerce departments, as well as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to provide a report on myriad trade-related topics.

President Trump on April 9 signed the “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance” Executive Order in an effort to enhance the U.S. shipbuilding capacity and maritime workforce as a countermeasure to China’s current maritime industry dominance.

The NCBFAA leadership and staff congratulates the new slate of the Board of Directors who were elected in by the Regular Membership during the Annual Meeting on Monday, April 7, at the 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 52nd NCBFAA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 6-9 was a resounding success in terms of timely and highly informative content, particularly as it relates to the customs broker industry’s response to recently imposed tariffs.

Past NCBFAA President Geoff Powell received the coveted NCBFAA Centurion Award during the closing ceremony of the 52nd Annual Conference at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 9. NCBFAA presented this award to Powell, a longtime NCBFAA Member, Committee Chair, Past President, and Senior Counselor of the association, in appreciation of his outstanding vision, leadership, and dedication to the betterment of the international freight transportation community.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is stepping up efforts to review food import entries, as concerns increase over inaccurate identification of the "FSV Importer" on entry documents. The Food Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) places responsibility on importers to verify that their foreign suppliers are producing food that meets U.S. food safety standards.

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 White House Executive Order issued April 2 stated that all articles imported into the U.S. will be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 10 percent, effective 12:01 a.m. ET on April 5. President Trump on April 2 also signed an Executive Order to eliminate duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China, effective May 2 at 12:01 a.m. ET. In addition, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to provide guidance to trade with entry filing instructions pertinent to these tariffs. The NCBFAA Customs Committee and its Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., continue to monitor these tariffs and their impact on our customs broker members.

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

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.

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.

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.