CBP Announces COAC Meeting Date, Releases Agenda

CBP announced the location and agenda for next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC), Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. (ET) in Washington, D.C. Online registration for webcast and in-person participation is available through Nov. 30, said a notice in the Federal Register Nov. 16.

The COAC will hear from the following subcommittees on the topics listed below and then will review, deliberate, and formulate recommendations on how to proceed on those topics:

• The work of the Trade Facilitation Subcommittee: Recommendations and resolutions on CBP’s Trade Transformation initiatives, recommendations on the role of the customs brokers in regard to the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), and recommendations based on the results from the COAC Industry Survey regarding the expected benefits of the CEEs.
• The work of the Role of the Broker Subcommittee: Recommendations and resolutions on various aspects of CBP’s effort to revise the role of the customs broker in the CBP regulations (19 CFR Part 111) which includes whether the initiative in the area of continuing education should be pursued, requirements for brokers to obtain bona fides for their importer clients before transacting customs business on the client’s behalf, and comments on possible revision to CBP Form 5106 (Importer Identification Input Record). In addition, recommendations will be made regarding the role of customs brokers in the CEEs.
• The work of Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Strategic Communications Working Group: Presentation of a white paper and recommendation how CBP should proceed in communicating with the trade community as the agency shifts from the Automated Commercial System (ACS) to ACE as functionality becomes available.
• The work of the One U.S. Government at the Border Subcommittee: Recommendation for addressing a One U.S. Government Approach to Trusted Trader Programs and provide the subcommittee term end report.
• The Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Subcommittee’s work on providing CBP with guidance on new tools to be used in the port of entry to help identify counterfeit products, the distribution chain management and serialization pilot project, and modification to the CBP recordation database of federally registered trademarks, trade names and copyrights.
• The Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duties Subcommittee’s term end report and a discussion on the impact of trade enforcement and trade intelligence initiatives.
• The Bond Subcommittee’s work on proposed modifications to the CBP Form 5106 (Importer Identification Input Record), liquidated damages/mitigation guidelines, and the use of single transaction bonds (STBs) when additional security is merited. The Subcommittee will respond to the CBP Deputy Commissioner’s request to look into the possibility of issuing bonds prior to the foreign departure of goods that are intended for importation into the United States.
• An update from CBP’s Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison on the July 2012 USDA/Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and CBP Joint Stakeholder Conference.

Before COAC takes action on any of these topics, members of the public will have an opportunity to provide oral or written comments. The COAC will also receive an update and discuss the following initiatives and subcommittee topics:

• The National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security as it relates to an effort to solicit, consolidate, and provide to DHS sector and stakeholder input on implementation of the National Strategy.
• The work of the Land Border Security Subcommittee: updates and observations on the Customs --the 21st Century Border Management Initiative and Beyond the Border initiatives.
• The Air Cargo Security Subcommittee’s work on the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) pilot, and a discussion of the operational involvement of freight forwarders as well as the next steps in drafting a notice of proposed rulemaking.
• The Export Subcommittee’s work on where it stands in identifying incentives for U.S. exporters to participate in Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)/Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs and a review of the subcommittee’s scope and goals for the 13th term COAC.

The meeting will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building in the Horizon Ballroom, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20229.

Online registration for is available here