On June 17, 2004, the House Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee held a hearing on the budget authorizations for fiscal year (FY) 2005 and FY2006 for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as on other Customs issues. At this hearing, the subcommittee was addressed by two witnesses and six panelists.
In a June 15, 2004 speech, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security James Loy outlined efforts being made to implement certain remaining aspects of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) (Pubic Law 107-295) as they relate to improving container security.
The House Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee has issued an advisory stating that it will hold a hearing on June 17, 2004 on budget authorizations for fiscal year (FY) 2005 and FY 2006 for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS') Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and on other Customs issues.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a notice announcing that the next meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) will be held on June 18, 2004 in Washington, DC. (This committee was previously called the "Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. Customs Service.")
On May 18, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice announcing that it is extending until July 13, 2004 the comment period regarding all aspects of its interim final rule on prior notice of imported food shipments.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the DHS Bureau of Transportation and Security Directorate (BTS) Container Working Group, which is working on "secure systems of transportation" and container seals and locks, is thinking about leveraging DHS' scarce assets, including whether the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) known-shipper program can somehow help the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). The article notes that the CWG intends to present the results of its work to the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) and obtain input from technology providers. (JoC dated 05/17-23/04, www.joc.com.)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice announcing that at the request of the Government of Canada it is extending until July 13, 2004 the comment period regarding all aspects of its interim final rule on prior notice of imported food shipments.
In April 2004, the World Customs Organization's (WCO's) Task Force on Security and Facilitation of the International Trade Supply Chain (Task Force) held its final session. According to a WCO press release, discussions at the Task Force session focused on, among other things, the implementation of existing WCO measures and instruments, the drafting of international standards, and Customs-business partnerships.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the creation of its new Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Status Verification Interface (SVI).
The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) held a quarterly meeting on April 2, 2004 in Washington, DC to discuss, and receive updates from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on various trade and customs issues.