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NCBFAA Efforts for Under $800 NAFTA-Wide de Minimis Could Bring Pushback, Lobbyist Says
September 11, 2017 by Brian Bradley|Customs

Reconciling U.S., Mexican and Canadian de minimis levels, and lowering the U.S.’s current $800 level if necessary, could prove difficult within NAFTA renegotations, Jon Kent, a lobbyist for the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, said Sept. 11 during the NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference. While some believe that raised de minimis levels are good for U.S. small businesses, Kent believes that’s a “fairy tale” that rapidly increased imports. “It chews up a lot of business,” Kent said of the U.S.’s now $800 de minimis level.

CBP Requests Input on Regulations Deserving Elimination or Changes
September 11, 2017 |Customs

CBP is seeking public comments on regulations that should be altered or eliminated, the agency said in a notice. The request for comments is part of a deregulatory effort by the Trump administration (see 1701300037). Among the insights CBP seeks are whether there are reporting requirements that are now outdated and if there are CBP rules that unnecessarily impede or add costs to legitimate trade. The agency is also interested in any new technologies that can be used to streamline or do away with existing regulatory or reporting requirements. Comments are due Dec. 11.

DHS Relaxes Jones Act Requirements for Fuel Shipping to Areas Hit by Hurricanes
September 11, 2017 |Customs

The Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke signed off on a waiver of the Jones Act to make sure "all options are available to distribute fuel to states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma," DHS said in a news release. The Jones Act limits cargo transportation between points in the U.S. to vessels owned by U.S. citizens. "I am exercising my authority to waive the Jones Act for a 7-day period, commencing immediately, to facilitate movement of refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel -- to be shipped from New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Louisiana to South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico," the waiver said. "This waiver applies to covered merchandise laded on board a vessel within the 7 day period of the waiver." The Defense and Energy departments both recommended seven-day waivers of the Jones Act

US, Kuwait Sign Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement
September 8, 2017 |Customs

The U.S. and Kuwait signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement meant to help prevent and detect customs violations, CBP said in a Sept. 7 news release. Such agreements "allow for the exchange of information that is vital to our national and economic security,” Acting CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said. "These agreements form sound legal frameworks on a wide range of issues, including securing our borders against terrorists and combating drug traffickers. This collaboration and cooperation will enable us -- and generations after us -- to work more effectively to prevent, detect, and investigate customs offenses.” The U.S. now has CMAAs with 80 countries, it said.

GAO Recommends CBP, USPS Establish Performance Targets for Electronic Advance Data Pilots
September 8, 2017 by Brian Bradley|Customs

CBP and the U.S. Postal Service should establish measurable performance objectives to assess the effectiveness of two ongoing pilots to target international mail for inspection based on electronic advance data, and should examine the costs and benefits of using this data for mail inspection compared with other methods, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Sept. 7. CBP and USPS agreed with the recommendations. “Because CBP and USPS lack clear performance goals for these pilots, they risk spending additional time and resources expanding them prior to fully assessing the pilots’ success or failure,” the GAO said. The Trade Act of 2002 requires that all cargo, not including international mail, be shipped only after transmission of electronic advance data.

Topics:CBP CROSS Rulings
CBP Improving Hardware Systems in Wake of ACE Outages in Early August
September 7, 2017 |Customs

CBP is working on “bulletproofing” its information technology systems in the wake of availability issues for ACE during the week of July 31, CBP Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a Sept. 6 speech at the U.S. Air Cargo Industry Affairs Summit in Washington. The agency intends to put in place “additional redundancy” and “active failover,” he said. “We need to take the gold standard to the platinum level.” McAleenan has said the availability issues were the result of faulty hardware, not a programming issue or a cyberattack (see 1708230032). Separately, he said he expects to send rules formally establishing the Air Cargo Advance Screening Program for clearance from the Office of Management and Budget by the end of the month.