NCBFAA is encouraging our members to prepare for this transition in several ways. First, please move your entry filing dates up as much as possible to minimize the number of transactions CBP is processing in ACE over the deployment weekend(s). Please minimize the number entries, if possible, on the daily statements in order to control the environment as much as possible. We suggest you move your statements that are due to be paid during the deployment week up early to avoid any miscues and non-payment. Remember to alert your clients if you move their statement dates so they too can have the best information possible. We also encourage you to reach out to your client rep to make sure they will be in the office during the deployment, and find out what your contingency plan should be if they will not be there. Find your best channel of communication with CBP ahead of the deployment so you will have the best chance of success in resolving an issue should one occur during the drop. We also recommend that you reach out to your software vendors to discuss their plans and how you can be the best partner possible for them during this deployment. Again, find a good communication channel with your vendor before the deployment so you won't have to spend precious time just trying to find the right person to speak with. Finally, you may consider sending a communication similar to the following to your clients:

New Federal Register Notice Published Concerning Statements in ACE - On Friday, December 8, 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS # 17-000758 announcing the publication of a Federal Register Notice (FRN) communicating the delay of the transition of statement processing from the Automated Commercial System (ACS) to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Below is a hyperlink to the FRN Notice:

The November 30, 2017, edition of the Federal Register, beginning at page 56781, announced a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that could lead to a significant loosening of unnecessary regulatory burdens on NVOCCs. As you are hopefully well aware, the NCBFAA has long been urging the FMC to use its exemption authority to end mandatory rate tariff requirements for NVOs.

NCBFAA is encouraging our members to prepare for this transition in several ways. First, please move your entry filing dates up as much as possible to minimize the number of transactions CBP is processing in ACE over the deployment weekend(s). Please minimize the number entries, if possible, on the daily statements in order to control the environment as much as possible. We suggest you move your statements that are due to be paid during the deployment week up early to avoid any miscues and non-payment. Remember to alert your clients if you move their statement dates so they too can have the best information possible. We also encourage you to reach out to your client rep to make sure they will be in the office during the deployment, and find out what your contingency plan should be if they will not be there. Find your best channel of communication with CBP ahead of the deployment so you will have the best chance of success in resolving an issue should one occur during the drop. We also recommend that you reach out to your software vendors to discuss their plans and how you can be the best partner possible for them during this deployment. Again, find a good communication channel with your vendor before the deployment so you won't have to spend precious time just trying to find the right person to speak with. Finally, you may consider sending a communication similar to the following to your clients:

In a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's ITDS Program Coordinator (NOAA), NCBFAA expressed concern about the trade's readiness to meet the agency's new extensive entry data requirements for 11 species of seafood and seafood-containing food products. Beginning January 1, under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), importers are required to electronically submit detailed data elements, including: where the fish was caught, the type of net used, the name of the vessel, where the fish was off-loaded, the weight of the fish when it was off-loaded, the name of the processor, among other details

NCBFAA Executive Vice President devoted time after the holiday break to planning NCBFAA's 2018 budgets and office focus. 2018 is shaping up to be a year of membership and growth for the NCBFAA, and she couldn't be more excited. She also continued to focus on the upcoming Annual Conference and getting the directory and Annual Report together in conjunction with the Annual Conference. She is very eager to connect with NCBFAA members who will be in attendance at both the Conference of the America's and the East Coast Trade Symposium this week.

NCBFAA filed a Petition for Reconsideration with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), urging the Commission to reconsider the import requirements for radio frequency (RF) devices provided in a final rule published on November 2, 2017. In the Petition, NCBFAA explains that the rule inappropriately equates brokers with importers and consignees, who have an ownership interest in the product, are primary parties to the transaction and are most likely to be familiar with the product's technical characteristics.

The CBP 2017 ACE Customer Satisfaction Survey is open now through midnight, December 8. CBP encourages all importers, brokers, carriers and other trade community users of ACE to take the 5-10 minute voluntary and anonymous survey. Results from this survey allow CBP to gauge the impact of ACE and to identify areas needing improvement. Because of the larger the response the more meaningful the survey results, the NCBFAA urges all members affected by ACE to take the time to participate in this exercise.

NCBFAA has worked diligently with CBP in the wake of the most recent customs broker licensing exam to find a workable remedy for our future fellow members of the LCB community. NCBFAA's Customs Committee, Customs Counsel Alan Klestadt and EVP Megan Montgomery spearheaded a comment collection campaign to identify testing site issues, communicate with the LCB applicants, and worked with CBP to fashion a remedy that best serves the needs of CBP, the LCB community as a whole and the applicants themselves as well. CBP was eager to support the applicants who experienced test day issues and we were grateful for the opportunity to advocate on behalf of our members and future members. The final remedy included the opportunity for unsuccessful candidates to sit for a future exam free of additional charges and a renewed focus on getting the electronic testing perfected before the April 2018 exam. NCBFAA and CBP remain committed together to modernizing the brokers exam and deliver timely results to future applicants.

On November 27, 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a final rule entitled Changes to the In-Bond Process. The final rule adopted, with several changes, proposed amendments to CBP regulations regarding the in-bond process.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. is tracking the outcome of U.S.-Vietnam trade deal, ongoing U.S.-Canadian trade discussions, and CBP tariff guidance updates for the association's customs broker members and their importer clients.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), effective July 1, revoked the Syria Sanctions as authorized in Executive Order (EO) 14312.

On July 16 at 2 p.m. ET, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a special “virtual office hours” session to discuss challenges and experiences of customs brokers and industry members who have participated in the CPSC e-Filing pilot.

With so much focus on trade in Washington, D.C., these days, NCBFAA anticipates that the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7-9, will sell out of our room block at the Grand Hyatt Washington well before the room rate cut-off date of Aug. 7.

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 NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. is tracking the outcome of U.S.-Vietnam trade deal, ongoing U.S.-Canadian trade discussions, and CBP tariff guidance updates for the association's customs broker members and their importer clients.

On July 16 at 2 p.m. ET, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a special “virtual office hours” session to discuss challenges and experiences of customs brokers and industry members who have participated in the CPSC e-Filing pilot.

With so much focus on trade in Washington, D.C., these days, NCBFAA anticipates that the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7-9, will sell out of our room block at the Grand Hyatt Washington well before the room rate cut-off date of Aug. 7.

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

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome 7 Star Logistics Solutions, Farris Customs Brokers, Infinito Global Trade Network, and Karl Gross Logistics (USA), 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!

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. is tracking the outcome of U.S.-Vietnam trade deal, ongoing U.S.-Canadian trade discussions, and CBP tariff guidance updates for the association's customs broker members and their importer clients.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), effective July 1, revoked the Syria Sanctions as authorized in Executive Order (EO) 14312.

FIATA’s new Best Practice Guide on Maritime Contracting helps freight forwarders navigate this landscape by clarifying the implications of acting under different capacities when engaging with ocean carriers.

On July 16 at 2 p.m. ET, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a special “virtual office hours” session to discuss challenges and experiences of customs brokers and industry members who have participated in the CPSC e-Filing pilot.

With so much focus on trade in Washington, D.C., these days, NCBFAA anticipates that the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7-9, will sell out of our room block at the Grand Hyatt Washington well before the room rate cut-off date of Aug. 7.