CBP Announces COAC Meeting Date, Bona Fides Recommendations on Agenda

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) for CBP will next meet on Feb. 11 in San Francisco, CBP said in a notice (here). Recommendations for CBP on regulating customs brokers' collection of importer bona fides information are among the agenda items planned for the meeting. A COAC group previously put off making recommendations on the subject while the agency developed a proposal on a new Form 5106 (see 13111801). CBP proposed revisions to the form in October (see 14100815).

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 Exports Subcommittee: Review and discuss the status of the Air Manifest sub-work group and the findings of the Commodity Licensing sub-work group.
• The One U.S. Government at the Border (1USG) Subcommittee: Review, discuss findings and present recommendations of the Process and Messaging Working Group. Update to COAC on the Status of U.S. Government Hold Authority. Subcommittee Closeout Report and update on status of 13th Term recommendations.
• The Trade Enforcement and Revenue Collection Subcommittee: Update and present a recommendation of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Voluntary Disclosure working group, present recommendations of the Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) Working Group, and report on the Bonds Working Group’s discussions on e-bonds.
• The Trusted Trader Subcommittee: Update and discuss the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Exporter Entity and the Trusted Trader Program pilot.
• The Trade Modernization Subcommittee: Updates and discussion on Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), Centers of Excellence and Expertise, as well as Role of the Customs Broker activities will take place. Recommendations are expected to be presented regarding CBP regulating how Customs Brokers can confirm the bona fide nature of an importer, what metrics CBP can report regarding the deployment of Centers of Excellence and Expertise, and recommendations regarding the development of a Simplified Entry Summary.
• The Global Supply Chain Subcommittee: Updates and discussion regarding the Beyond the Border activities with Canada and 21st Century activities with Mexico will take place.