Former Acting CBP Commissioner David Aguilar joined Global Security and Intelligence Strategies (GSIS) as a partner in April, a GSIS spokeswoman said. Aguilar retired from his post at the end of March and was replaced by current Acting Commissioner Thomas Winkowski (see 13040115). Aguilar now "advises clients on a broad range of national homeland and international security matters including border operations, security management, global trade and commerce, supply chain management and security, critical infrastructure protection, risk management, viability assessments and strategic planning and implementation," according to GSIS.
CBP said Oct. 4 it would delay its deployment for a number of new Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) features planned on Oct. 5. "CBP is monitoring the situation for developments and will continue to do so until funding is put in place to re-open the government," it said in a CSMS message. "CBP is ready to deploy and will ensure the Trade Community receives advanced notification of any decision to deploy." The CBP announcement followed a National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America notice saying the deployment would be put off (see 13100417).
CBP posted a Sept. 30 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP also posted a version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.
CBP is postponing the planned Oct. 5 deployment of several Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) pieces due to the government shutdown, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America said in an alert. While CBP is ready to deploy on schedule, "due to limited personnel resources within CBP--notably the absence of Client Representatives--and complications being experienced with normal release and post-release processing often related to [Partner Government Agency] systems and their resource limitations during the hiatus, CBP did not want to put further stress on the trade at this time," NCBFAA said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Oct. 2, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of Sept. 30. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, and tobacco; and certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, OFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, OFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying textile articles and/or other articles; the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc.
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Sept. 30 with 122 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 179,216. The most recent ruling is dated 09/27/2013.
The ongoing government shutdown is preventing the CBP issuance of customs seals to carrier warehouse and ramp employees, according to Elizabeth Shaver, director of cargo services at Airlines for America. "Customs seals issuance is considered administrative support, and therefore not an excepted function," she said in an update on the effects of the shutdown sent by the Airforwarders Association. "It is recommended that carriers work with their local CBP port directors to find an accommodation to minimize the impact on carrier operations," she said.
CBP is seeking comments on a proposed extension of an existing collection of information on the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). SVRS is a program that allows certain participants using small pleasure boats to report their arrival telephonically instead of having to appear in person for inspection by a CBP officer each time they enter the U.S. CBP estimates 8,840 respondents at 30 minutes each.