The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America said this year's Government Affairs Conference broke its attendance record. The conference Sept. 9-11 had "nearly 175 attendees," the association said. Next year, the conference is scheduled for Sept. 22-24, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.
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 threat of sequestration could mean a slowdown in the movement of goods as agencies pare back on operations necessary to facilitate international trade, said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association. "Airforwarders Association members routinely depend upon Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection resources to maintain a smooth flow of goods without disruption," he said by email. "Sequestration will result in the slowing of shipments at airports and seaports since both agencies play a vital role in cargo security and shipment processing. An absence of the necessary staff to perform these vital functions would certainly have an adverse impact not only on the freight transportation industry but also on our nation's commerce."
The planned reorganization of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Regulatory Affairs will create a new Office of Enforcement and Import Operations (OEIO), according to a Sept. 10 FDA fact sheet on the reorganization. The new office "will combine most of the functions of the Office of Enforcement and the operational aspects of the Division of Import Operations and Policy," it said. The OEIO will be overseen by the new Office of Operations, which will report to the Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs (ACRA).
CBP scheduled a seminar on imported foods for Western New York brokers and filers, the agency said in a CSMS message. The free seminar is meant to provide basic information to food importers and distributors concerning the import process, issues concerning food safety and proactive solutions which can be taken to address these issues, the message said. The event is scheduled for Oct. 16, 9 a.m.--12:30 p.m. at the Conference Center at Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St. Niagara Falls, NY 14303. To register, provide company name, address, and contact information to John Luker (john.luker@agriculture.ny.gov; O: (518) 457-5382) by Oct. 9. The seminar is open to the first 75 registrants only.
The following are the trade-related hearings scheduled Sept. 17-21:
CBP is switching locations for a coming presentation on valuation, said CBP Seattle in a trade information notice (TIN). The event will be 1-4 p.m. in North Auditorium (4th Floor, Second Avenue Entrance), Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle. Contact: Heather Scott -- (206) 553-1434. Members of the CBP Office of International Trade, Regulations and Rulings will give a public presentation on valuation Sept. 19 in Seattle, Topics will include valuation hierarchy, methods of appraisement, multi-tiered and related-party transactions and bona fide sales, said the TIN. Email documents@brokerpower.com for a copy of the TIN.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg hired Lori Hill as director of customs audits and compliance, the firm said. Hill previously worked as import compliance manager in the international trade compliance department of Tyco International Management Company.
The CBP "Role of the Broker" Webinar on broker penalties scheduled for Sept. 20 will start at 12:30 p.m., said CBP in a CSMS message. The Webinar, which is part of an effort to rewrite broker regulations, was originally scheduled to start at 3:30. A schedule for the remaining Webinars is (here).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
The FDA is in the beginning stages of looking at a centralized review model for import entry, said a FDA spokeswoman. "FDA is currently exploring the idea of using a 'centralized' review model for import entry review," she said. "This exploration is in the very early stages and will be looking at whether the model is feasible, whether any efficiencies could be expected from such a model, if there would be any benefits to FDA and/or the regulated industry from such a model." An FDA official recently discussed the issue at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America conference. (See ITT's Online Archives 12091423 for summary of the FDA official's remarks.)