International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 5 - Aug. 9 in case they were missed.
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 Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) advised CBP to allow for some non-accredited materials to count toward a planned 40-hour requirement for customs broker continuing education, it said during the Aug. 7 COAC meeting. That would be part of a "measured, commercially reasonable approach" to the expected changes, said Vincent Iacopella, chief operating office of Janel World Trade and a co-chair of the COAC "Role of the Broker" working group.
CBP posted an updated version of its notice announcing that the next customs broker license exam will be on Monday, Oct. 7.
CBP said the following customs broker licenses and all associated permits are canceled without prejudice:
CBP reinstated 56 customs broker licenses it previously revoked for failure to submit a 2009 or 2012 triennial report and fee.
CBP said the following customs broker license has been reinstated and is currently active:
CBP corrected its Dec. 6, 2012, notice revoking customs broker licenses to show which brokers and license numbers were revoked and which are currently active. In the Dec. 6 notice, CBP "CBP inadvertently linked certain broker license numbers to the incorrect broker’s name," it said.
CBP said the following customs broker license, as well as all associated permits, is revoked by operation of law:
CBP said the following individual customs broker licenses and any and all associated permits have been canceled due to the death of the broker:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s proposed new requirements for certificates of compliance would impose a heavy burden on importers and customs brokers, said several companies and trade associations in response to the proposed rule (here). CBP hasn’t implemented CPSC compliance data in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), so electronic filing would likely take the form of complicated and time-consuming PDF submissions, said industry groups. And the proposal’s definition of importers brings customs brokers under the new requirements, even though they’re not in a position to certify compliance with product safety regulations, the National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) said.