Starting May 27, 2017, the FDA will begin implementing the FDA's Food Supplier Verification Program (FSVP).

On Friday, March 3, NCBFAA leaders spent two hours discussing areas for improving regulations with Acting FMC Chairman Michael Khouri. Meeting with the Acting Chairman were NCBFAA President Geoffrey Powell, NCBFAA Transportation Counsel Edward Greenberg, NCBFAA Legislative Representative Jon Kent, and NCBFAA Transportation Committee Chair Jan Fields.

ACE Portal Reminder: Data Available in ACE Reports - The ACE Secure Data Portal provides users the ability to run reports to capture import and export transaction data. ACE Portal users have the option to run standard canned reports, modify existing predefined reports, or create customized reports using ad-hoc capabilities available in the ACE reporting tool. Users can also select reports that capture data originating from ACE or the legacy ACS. ACE Report data is refreshed nightly, and hourly for a select group of reports.

During a meeting of the NCBFAA Customs Committee with CBP management, we learned that our ongoing effort to modernize the regulations governing customs brokers has been put on hold indefinitely by CBP. Characterized as the Part 111 rewrite, the proposals have been under review by CBP's Office of Regulations and Review (ORR) and encompass several primary topics:

The decades-old US-EU beef dispute is again firing up, following a petition filed in December by the US beef industry asking the USTR to reinstate retaliatory tariffs against a range of EU products. The USTR held a public hearing on February 15 to gather views on whether to impose tariffs and, if so, what products should be placed on the list.

Ruling H276784 (here) addressed the issue of whether a broker could pay a referral fee to a non-licensed entity. CBP Headquarters interpreted 19 CFR 111.36 to preclude the payment of a commission to an unlicensed entity. CBP reasoned that because a commission is generally a percentage of the fee paid for services, section 111.36(a), would bar the payment of commissions to unlicensed persons, as it is derived from the fees paid by clients for Customs business. In contrast, CBP opined that a different payment method, such as a flat amount paid by the broker to its agents that is not tied to any particular transaction, would not trigger the regulation.

The NCBFAA Board of Directors would like to acknowledge the following 37 new members approved at the January 21 meeting in Charlotte, NC.

ACE Portal Reminders: Disabling your Internet Browser's Pop-Up Blocker and Creating Individual User Login IDs - U.S. Customs and Border Protection would like to remind all ACE Secure Data Portal users of the need to disable your Internet browser pop-up blocker when launching the following application modules in the ACE portal:

Commerce Secretary Designate Wilbur Ross was well received by the Commerce Committee during a four-hour confirmation hearing on Wednesday. In a soft-spoken manner, the Commerce nominee gave detailed answers on a wide range of issues. "I am not anti-trade," he said, but rather, described himself as "pro-sensible trade." Access to our markets should be allowed for those countries who also play fair, he said. "We cannot allow trade that is bad for American workers and businesses," he explained. Ross named the expansion of exports as his number one objective. With regard to Canada and Mexico, the Secretary Designate said NAFTA is "logically" the first trade topic for the Trump Administration to address. "We have to solidify the relationships...in our territory before we go off to other jurisdictions," he said, calling NAFTA a "very early" priority.

John Kelly gave an impressive performance during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, earning bipartisan praise from Committee members. Kelly was introduced by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who called the DHS nominee "a reliable, competent leader, capable of managing a complex, multipart operation." Kelly showed a firm grasp of the issues and was very straightforward in his responses. Committee Democrat Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) commented that the Committee had clearly "won the lottery" of Cabinet nominees. The hearing focused on security issues, with no mention of CBP or trade-related matters. Kelly's confirmation is expected to proceed smoothly.

President Trump announced on Friday, Aug. 22, that his administration has initiated an investigation into furniture imports, with the possibility of imposing tariffs on these products later this year.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold its next Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C., from 1-5 p.m. ET on Sept. 17. The meeting will be open to the public via webinar only, the agency said.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Aug. 21 updated its IEEPA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the unstacking provisions. Specifically, under “IEEPA Overarching,” see the question, “What are the current unstacking provisions?”

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to track the imposition of additional Section 232 tariffs on U.S. imports aluminum and steel derivatives, watch progress of the U.S. and European Union trade framework agreement announced on Aug. 21, and monitor the Canadian government’s commitment to end certain retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods by Sept. 1.

Customs and Border Protection said recent unannounced visits at Customs Bonded Facilities (CBF) have yielded numerous cases of violations. The agency reminds CBF operators of authorities that CBP Port Directors may exercise in cases of violations.

President Trump announced on Friday, Aug. 22, that his administration has initiated an investigation into furniture imports, with the possibility of imposing tariffs on these products later this year.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold its next Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C., from 1-5 p.m. ET on Sept. 17. The meeting will be open to the public via webinar only, the agency said.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Aug. 21 updated its IEEPA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the unstacking provisions. Specifically, under “IEEPA Overarching,” see the question, “What are the current unstacking provisions?”

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to track the imposition of additional Section 232 tariffs on U.S. imports aluminum and steel derivatives, watch progress of the U.S. and European Union trade framework agreement announced on Aug. 21, and monitor the Canadian government’s commitment to end certain retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods by Sept. 1.

Customs and Border Protection said recent unannounced visits at Customs Bonded Facilities (CBF) have yielded numerous cases of violations. The agency reminds CBF operators of authorities that CBP Port Directors may exercise in cases of violations.

President Trump announced on Friday, Aug. 22, that his administration has initiated an investigation into furniture imports, with the possibility of imposing tariffs on these products later this year.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold its next Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C., from 1-5 p.m. ET on Sept. 17. The meeting will be open to the public via webinar only, the agency said.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Aug. 21 updated its IEEPA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the unstacking provisions. Specifically, under “IEEPA Overarching,” see the question, “What are the current unstacking provisions?”

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to track the imposition of additional Section 232 tariffs on U.S. imports aluminum and steel derivatives, watch progress of the U.S. and European Union trade framework agreement announced on Aug. 21, and monitor the Canadian government’s commitment to end certain retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods by Sept. 1.

Customs and Border Protection said recent unannounced visits at Customs Bonded Facilities (CBF) have yielded numerous cases of violations. The agency reminds CBF operators of authorities that CBP Port Directors may exercise in cases of violations.