CBP posted an updated version of its notice announcing that the next customs broker license exam will be on Monday, April 7.
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.
International Trade Today will periodically feature a Q&A with a customs industry professional. Our interviewee for this edition is Barbara Carman, Director of Compliance with BCB International, a privately held customs brokerage in Buffalo, N.Y. Carman has been with BCB International since 1995 Licensed in 1992, she has been in the customs brokerage industry for almost 30 years and is an active member of the NCBFFA and the International Compliance Professionals Association.
International Trade Today will periodically feature a Q&A with a customs industry professional. Our interviewee for this edition is Cindy Allen, Vice President of Brokerage U.S. for DHL Global Forwarding. Before joining DHL, Allen handled the difficult task of overseeing work on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as CBP's Executive Director of the ACE business office. Allen has also served as the Educational Institute Director with National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America and president of the Detroit Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association. She's been a licensed customs broker since 1990.
The Treasury Department recently published its fall 2013 regulatory agenda for CBP, which lists three new items in the works, including amendments to CBP regulations that would add new notice requirements and appeal procedures for when CBP suspends or revokes an entry filer code or discontinues the ability to use immediate delivery and remote location filing (RLF) programs. The potential changes, proposed in February (see 13022521), are a major concern for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, which has said it would likely seek legal action if CBP were to try and revoke an entry filer code (see 13043021).
The Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association (LLUSCBA) will host an Automated Export System (AES) Compliance Seminar and an AESPcLink Workshop in Laredo, Texas on Jan. 15-16, the Census Bureau said in a press release. During the Jan. 15 seminar, participants will discuss Foreign Trade Regulations filing requirements, discuss Schedule B classification requirements, and provide an overview of AES, it said.. The seminar costs $125 for LLUSCBA members and $200 for non-members. The Jan. 16 workshop will offer training on electronic filing of export information via AESPcLink. The workshop costs $35 for LLUSCBA members and $75 for non-members. Those interested should register via admin@lluscba.org.
Maureen Thorson, an international trade lawyer and licensed customs broker at Wiley Rein, was promoted from of counsel to partner, the firm said in a press release.
The customs broker’s license examination scheduled for April 2014 will be on Monday, April 7, said CBP in a notice. The four-hour exam consists of 80 multiple-choice questions, with a score of 75 percent required to pass. Exam topics usually include: Entry, Classification, Country of Origin, Trade Agreements, Antidumping/Countervailing Duty, Value, Broker Responsibilities, FP&F, Protests, Marking, Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise, Drawback, Intellectual Property Rights, and other subjects pertinent to a broker's duties. CBP said registration is expected to open for the exam in February.
The Court of International Trade on Dec. 26 slapped yet more penalties on a Laredo-based customs broker whose violations were already the subject of another civil suit and a criminal case. The court ordered Alejandro Santos to pay $30,000 for misclassifying two shipments of pesticides and failing to file the notice of arrival required by the Environmental Protection Agency. The court had already ordered $19,000 in penalties against Santos in December 2012 for unrelated violations of customs laws. Santos also faces prison time after pleading guilty in May to a criminal customs case in the Southern Texas District Court.
Settlement Reached on Customs Broker Exam Lawsuit, Test Taker to Receive Passing Grade for 2011 Exam
An aspiring customs broker will receive a long-awaited passing grade for her customs exam after the Justice Department agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against CBP in the Court of International Trade, according to a recently filed settlement agreement. CBP will give Linh Pittman, who took the exam in Atlanta in 2011, "written confirmation that she received a passing grade on the customs broker licensing exam," the settlement agreement said. Pittman, who is represented by Jon Fee, a lawyer with Alston Bird, filed her initial appeal with CBP in 2012.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Dec. 16-20 in case they were missed.