On February 1, 2010, the President submitted his fiscal year 2011 budget request (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011) to Congress. The FY 2011 budget request for the State Department is $16.4 billion, an increase of $819 million over what was enacted in FY 2010.
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.
Federal Maritime Commissioner Dye recently gave her individual views on issues of deregulation and exemption authority, antitrust immunity, inadequate vessel space and containers at the recent National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America annual conference.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Fasteners of Heading 7318.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: the Agricultural Actual Use Provisions - Tariff Classification Issues of Headings 9817.00.50 and 9817.00.60.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a proposed rule to amend 19 CFR Parts 111 and 163 regarding customs broker recordkeeping requirements as they pertain to the location and method of record retention.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted the January and February 2010 Trade Support Network monthly activity reports, which summarize the activity of all of the TSN Committees and Subcommittees for those months.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted eight informed compliance publications that were reviewed in January 2010 with no change.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a new informed compliance publication entitled What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: The Classification of Ball Bearings, Rolling Bearings and Parts Thereof.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously announced that the next customs broker license examination will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
The Federal Maritime Commission has published in the Federal Register comments submitted by the Justice Department in support of the petition of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc. requesting an exemption for non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from certain tariff publishing and enforcement requirements, which the FMC recently voted to initiate a rulemaking to implement. (FR Pub 02/23/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-3325.pdf)