Importers are increasingly concerned over the potential impact of N. Korean sanctions on imported products from China or elsewhere. A broad sanctions bill (HR 3364) was signed into U.S. law in early August. It includes criminal penalties against any person importing products made in whole or in part by N. Korean labor! It also includes potential sanctions for any individual who purchases such products made from North Korean labor -- even if the workers are in another country legally.

The FDA's Division of West Coast Imports (DWCI) has supplied the trade with detailed guidance when communicating through electronic programs. The document addresses entry reviews, compliance reviews, and message formatting, among other things.

The U.S. Census Bureau has released its long awaited Advanced Notice or Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) soliciting public comments on Routed Export Transactions. Specifically, Census is seeking comments on the clarity, usability, and any other matters related to the regulatory requirements for routed transactions, including the definition of routed export transaction as well as the general responsibilities of the parties involved.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have announced, in the September 28, 2017 edition of the Federal Register, their final ruling adopting, with several changes, proposed amendments to CBP, regulations regarding changes to the in-bond process published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2012. After receiving comments and concerns related to the original proposed rulemaking, CBP has made the following changes:

On September 25, CBP announced a new proposal by the city of Douglas, Arizona had been selected as part of the Donations Acceptance Program. The city proposed a donation of a parking lot and adjacent parcel of undeveloped land directly north of the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry to better enable CBP to implement parking lot security measures, reduce port congestion and provide added commercial vehicle staging in support of Unified Cargo Processing efforts. The Donations Acceptance Program enables CBP and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to explore, foster and facilitate partnerships for port of entry infrastructure and technology improvements.

NCBFAA urged the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Mike Crapo, to hold confirmation hearings on the nominations to the Ex Im Bank board. Four nominations for the Board and one for the Ex Im President and Chairman of the Board are pending.

The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the NCBFAA are with the citizens of Puerto Rico and all those affected by Hurricane Maria. As certain regions of the U.S. have experienced the devastation from other hurricanes, NCBFAA members have opened their doors to offer any assistance to those impacted. If there is anything we can do to assist you, whether it be back-office support, finding temporary office space or acting as a communication conduit, please do not hesitate to contact NCBFAA Executive Vice President, Megan Montgomery.

Pursuant to U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR § 319.40-3 (effective since September 16, 2005), non-exempt wood packaging material (WPM) imported into the United States must have been treated at approved facilities at places of origin and must display an approved mark certifying the treatment of such wood products.

New FRN Concerning ACE - CBP issued CSMS # 17-000577 announcing the publication of a Federal Register Notice (FRN) communicating the delay of the transition of the e214 (electronic Foreign Trade Zone admission) test program that was originally scheduled to be deployed in the ACE) with Deployment G2 on September 16, 2017.

Responding to comments received in response to the Coalition for Fair Port Practices' Rulemaking Petition Number P4-16, the FMC will schedule a public hearing to discuss the multiple causes of port congestion, the divergent array of demurrage, detention and per diem assessment practices by different marine terminal operators (MTO) and vessel ocean common carriers (VOCCs).

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.