The Board of Directors for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) approved a revision to its recommended "Terms and Conditions of Service" document , the NCBFAA said. The NCBFAA replaced the wording of the "Company as agent" section of the document. The terms of service now say:
Tim Warren
Timothy Warren is Executive Managing Editor of Communications Daily. He previously led the International Trade Today editorial team from the time it was purchased by Warren Communications News in 2012 through the launch of Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. Tim is a 2005 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids.
The Supreme Court should review an Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) suit against CBP, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department in order to clarify the scope of judicial review of presidential action and agency decision making, said the ACCG in a Feb. 12 filing with the high court. The ACCG filed suit against the government to test import restrictions under the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA). The lower courts "have effectively excused State and CBP from any scrutiny despite well-founded allegations" that they ignored the procedural constraints within the CPIA, said the filing.
On Feb. 14, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
CBP posted a record of Feb. 6 changes to the ACE ABI CATAIR (Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements). The changes were to Appendix G (ACE ABI Condition Codes and Narrative Text), the ACE ABI CATAIR Error Dictionary, and the Entry Summary Create/Update chapter. The change log is (here). The full CATAIR is (here). The Appendix G is (here). The ACE ABI CATAIR Error Dictionary is (here). The Entry Summary Create/Update Chapter is (here).
CBP posted an updated summary of changes for the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR). The changes will be effective following the AES upgrade, which is tentatively scheduled after September. The following changes to Appendix A for Commodity Response Filing Messages, AES General Information and Part II AES Record Formats have been posted:
The Feb. 14 introduction of legislation that would repeal sugar import restrictions is a welcome development, said the National Foreign Trade Council in a press release. The sugar reform bills, S-345 and HR-693, would also provide the Department of Agriculture with more flexibility over the import quota system, said the NFTC. "All together, these and other provisions of these sugar reform bills could help save consumers and businesses about $3.5 billion a year and protect about 600,000 jobs in sugar-using industries," said NFTC President Bill Reinsch. Outdated sugar policy stifles economic growth and job creation and is "one of the oldest and most protectionist programs mandated by Congress," he said.
CBP announced the location and agenda for the next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC), March 6 at 1 p.m. (ET) in Washington, D.C. Online registration for webcast and in-person participation is available through March 4, said a Feb. 19 notice.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
The Bureau of Industry and Security said its Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee scheduled a partially open meeting March 7 in Washington, D.C. The committee advises the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration on technical questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to transportation and related equipment or technology. During the open session, the committee will hear status reports by working group chairs. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first served basis. Requests to join the conference are due by Feb. 28 to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov. A limited number of seats will also be available during the public session.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements determined that certain three-layered composite fabric is not available in commercial quantities in Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement countries, and is adding the fabric to the CAFTA-DR to the list at Annex 3.25 of the agreement in unrestricted quantities. This fabric may now be sourced from outside CAFTA-DR countries for use in CAFTA-DR qualifying textile and apparel products. VF Corp. asked for the commercial availability determination, and no interested parties responded to the request. Specifications for the fabric are as follows: