National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America leadership raised concerns about the Section 232 tariff inclusion process and plans for an external revenue service in recent meetings on Capitol Hill and with agency officials, NCBFAA customs counsel Lenny Feldman said in an interview.

In town for the trade group's Government Affairs Conference Sept. 7-9, Feldman said the leadership recognized a “sense of collaboration” in discussions with CBP, the Commerce and Treasury departments, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Congress. “I think the administration understands that the customs brokers are front and center when it comes to tariff collection,” he said.

The NCBFAA came away “really hopeful” from its discussions about Section 232 inclusions, stressing the need for the trade to get advance notice of new inclusions, after new steel and aluminum derivative tariffs were announced only three days before their effective date in August (see 2508150063). “We’re getting some traction,” Feldman said.

The NCBFAA suggested an in-transit rule for new Section 232 inclusions that would allow goods already loaded and on the water at the time of an announcement to have an exemption from the new tariffs, Feldman said.

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