The Treasury Department published its fall 2014 regulatory agenda for CBP (here), which lists no new rulemakings in the works. The agenda lists Treasury's CBP rulemakings that are pending at the proposed, interim final, final, and completed stages, as well as rulemakings that are long-term actions. The agenda lists the regulation title; past regulation(s), if any; the timeframe for the next regulatory action(s), if any; a brief description of the regulation; and a contact party name and telephone number. The Department of Homeland Security has also issued its fall 2014 regulatory agenda for CBP (see 1411260010).
Licensed Customs Broker
Customs brokers are entities who assist importers in meeting federal requirements governing imports into the United States. Brokers can be private individuals, partnerships, associations or corporations licensed, regulated and empowered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Customs brokers oversee transactions related to customs entry and admissibility of merchandise, product classification, customs valuation, payment of duties, taxes, or other charges such as refunds, rebates, and duty drawbacks. To obtain a customs broker license, an individual must pass the U.S. Customs Broker License Exam. Customs brokers are not government employees and should not be confused with CBP officials. There are approximately 11,000 active licensed customs brokers in the United States.
The licensed customs broker 2015 Triennial Status Report and fees are due by Feb. 28, CBP Seattle said in a trade information notice. All reports must include the required $100 fee, the notice said. Failure to file the report or pay the fee by March 1 will result in a license suspension, it said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its fall 2014 regulatory agenda for CBP (here) with some new trade-related rulemakings, including on customs broker continuing education and Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS). The agenda also continues to include mentions an Importer Security Filing (ISF) rulemaking, though a final rule on ISF is no longer listed. The spring agenda listed an ISF rule amendment and a separate final rule as being in the works (see 14052911).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 3-7 in case they were missed.
Canadian logistics company Milgram finished its purchase of M.O.T. Intermodal Shipping, a Canadian freight forwarder that also has offices in the U.S., said Milgram (here). The M.O.T.'s American operations include a customs brokerage and freight forwarding from two offices, one in New York and one in Texas, said Milgram. The purchase marks a strategic expansion with a number of benefits, said Milgram's press release. "It gives us added strength in the European market; it gives us a physical presence in the USA; it compliments our US customs brokerage service by adding a license in the USA; it gives us exposure to important new clients; it significantly increases our standing in the export market; and it strengthens our management team as well," the company said. The price was not disclosed.
CBP said the following customs broker license, as well as all associated permits, is revoked by operation of law (here):
CBP issued Brian Feito, associate editor at International Trade Today, a customs broker license on Oct. 16. The license, approved by CBP Assistant Commissioner for the Office of International Trade Brenda Smith, was delivered through the Port of Washington, D.C.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – There’s already some concerns with the recently proposed revision to CBP Form 5106 and the amount of information CBP is seeking, said panelists and brokers during the Western Cargo Conference on Oct. 17. With several new efforts underway to better identify importers – 5106, bona fides, Known Importer program -- there also remain some unanswered questions as to what the exact expectation of the broker will be, some said. The proposed 5106 includes a number of new data fields for a wide variety of corporate information on the importer (see 14100815), which will in turn help guide the formation of revised guidance for gathering importer bona fides.
The Federal Maritime Commission is seeking comment on its heavily revised proposed rulemaking on Ocean Transport Intermediaries (here). While the original proposal (see 13053031) was a source of concern for the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (see 13041004), the updated version strips out a number of the controversial pieces of the rule (see 14092217). Comments are due Dec. 12.
A coming Federal Maritime Commission proposed rulemaking on Ocean Transport Intermediaries (OTIs) makes a number of major revisions to a previous proposal on the subject, said FMC Commissioner William Doyle at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America Government Affairs Conference. Doyle gave a detailed preview of a coming OTI proposal, which he said is expected to come out in the near future. The NCBFAA previously said it expected the FMC to pull back on its OTI rulemaking that would have meant some major new financial and licensing requirements for OTIs (see 14071616). Among the changes to the rulemaking, the FMC will not increase the bond amounts for Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers and forwarders and will not create new standards for OTI advertising, he said.