| July 13, 2010 - CBP Announces October 2010 Customs Broker License Exam
The official announcement for the 2010 Customs Broker Exam was released today by CBP. Applicants may now submit their application
to their local port. Applications must be received no latter than 30 days before the Exam. ACA students should visit the Members page
for more detailed information
100% Air Cargo Screening
TSA has announced 100% Air Cargo Screening effective August 1 2010.
Taiwan
A Resolution was introduced by Congress for a Duty Free Program for Taiwan. On May 7, 2010 it was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Drawback Offices Reduced
The LAX Drawback office has been consolidated with SFO, bringing the the number of offices down to four.
Enforcement Focus - Regulatory Audits
Regulatory Audits are up. CBP now has 400 employees in Regulatory Audits and announced plans to increase staffing.
CBP has captured over $90 Million in additional revenue this year alone as a result of increased focus assessments.
April 2010 Customs Broker License Exam Answer Sheet
CBP has released the official answer sheet - April 2010 Answer Sheet
New 7501 Entry Summary
Beginning April 1, 2010 CBP will only allow filers to use the new 7501 (Revised June 2009). All entry summaries filed with the older 7501 will be rejected.
January 6 2010 - CBP Announces April 2010 Exam
CBP has officially announced the April 2010 Customs Broker Exam. Applications for the Exam are due by March 5, 2010.
ISF Begins Jan 26, 2010
Importer Security Filing (ISF) will be enforced by CBP on January 26, 2010. CBP will take the "Informed Compliance" approach to the programs full implementation. Acting Commissioner Jayson Ahern stated that CBP will use the least punitive enforcement measures. Penalties will be processed through Headquarters. It should be noted that Jayson Ahern announced his retirement from CBP - having served in the Ft. Lauderdale / Miami area prior to being promoted to Headquarters - we wish him well in his retirement.
GSP and ATPA Renewed
House Approves One-Year Extension of GSP and ATPA
The House of Representatives approved by voice vote Dec. 14 legislation (H.R. 4284) extending for one year the Generalized System of Preferences and the Andean Trade Preferences Act.
New Legislation - GSP and Informal Entry Limits
Informal Entry - On October 24 a Bill was introduced to Congress to change the dollar amount for Informal Entries from $2,000 to $2,500. It is now with the House Ways and Means committee for review. This should not impact April 2010 exam applicants because the exam is based on the 2009 Regulations, unless Customs issues a Directive before the Exam.
Duty Free Programs - One of the oldest duty free program is the Generalized System of Preference (GSP). It is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2009. Congress is working on a new Trade Preference Reform Act but it seems unrealistic to expect it to be completed by the end of the year. Many, including ACA, have petitioned Congress to grant a temporary extension to GSP until the new Trade Preference Reform Act is approved. We are following this legislation daily.
If this legislation is enacted we will distribute replacement DVD's to all current students.
October 2009 Answer Sheet
We have a "first glance" answer sheet for the October Exam - This is not the OFFICIAL answer sheet, .however we are usually 95% in agreement with CBP on the official answers.
Much of the classification process is subjective and there is plenty of room for discussion for the correct answer. We selected our answers based on a consensus of answers within Educational Services and the Help Desk. Answer Sheet
CBP Advises Importers of Additional 35 Percent Ad Valorem Duties on Chinese Tires
Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of International Trade today announced to the trade community plans to assess an additional 35 percent ad valorem duty on certain tires of Chinese origin entered or withdrawn from warehouses on or after September 26.
On September 11, President Obama signed Proclamation 8414 imposing additional duties on certain passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China for three years. The additional duty is 35 percent ad valorem the first year, 30 percent ad valorem the second year and 25 percent ad valorem the third and final year. This duty is in addition to the general rate provided in column one of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
A new U.S. note, number 14, and two new subheadings, 9903.40.05 and 9903.40.10 are added to Subchapter III of chapter 99, Temporary Modifications Established Pursuant To Trade Legislation of the HTSUS, to collect the additional duty.
Specifically, the tires subject to this additional duty are new pneumatic rubber tires, from China, of a kind used on motor cars (except racing cars) and on-the-highway light trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles and are, generally, to be mounted onto the rims of passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks. These tires are classified in subheadings 4011.10.10, 4011.10.50, 4011.20.10, or 4011.20.50, HTSUS.
The following tires are not subject to the additional duty: pneumatic racing car tires, new pneumatic tires of a kind used on large trucks and buses; new pneumatic tires of a kind used on agricultural or forestry vehicles and machines and construction or industrial handling vehicles or machines; new pneumatic tires of a kind used on aircraft, bicycles, motorcycles, trailers, all-terrain vehicles, and vehicles for turf, lawn and garden, and golf applications; pneumatic tires that are not new, including recycled and retreaded tires; and non-pneumatic tires, such as solid rubber tires.
FDA Opens Electronic Portal for Food Registry
The FDA has opened an electronic portal for its Reportable Food Registry.
The reporting requirements apply to any person who has to submit registration information to the FDA for a food facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for human or animal consumption in the U.S.
The link to the FDA Web site at www.fda.gov/ReportableFoodRegistry
New CFR Part - Part 149
Part 149 has been added to the CFR which outlines the requirements for ISF. The deadline for compliance is January 26 2010. Potential for questions on the Customs Broker Exam
10 Percent Duty on Canadian Softwood Lumber Begins April 15
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of International Trade today advises the trade community that CBP will begin collecting a 10 percent duty on imports of softwood lumber from Canada beginning April 15
PERU - United States - Peru Free Trade Promotion Implementation Act
The US - Peru Free Trade Act is effective as of February 2009.
CAFTA
Costa Rica is now part of CAFTA - Effective January 2009.
ACA Grant Program - Nominate someone in need of a helping hand...
December 1, 2008 Update
Due to the large number of applications, we have increased the Grant Program to five courses, rather than three.
The five individuals have been selected today and will be notified this week.
Thank you for all that participated.
In the spirit of the holidays, the ACA Endowment program gives away free Customs Broker License Exam courses to individuals who want to improve their future, but are not able to pay tuition.
Three individuals will be selected based on the information you provide us. They will receive our entire course and privileges: DVD’s, Membership Services, Help Desk, Quick Cram, etc. without any restriction.
To nominate someone please send us an email with a brief background on the individual’s circumstance in one or two paragraphs. Please include your telephone number with your email so we can follow up with you. Perhaps a single parent who has recently became unemployed or similar circumstance.
We have created a special email account for your nominations at
AmericanCustoms @gmail.com. Please note there is an extra space in the email address (to prevent spam), so you will have to delete the space if you copy/paste the address.
The deadline to nominate someone is Monday December 1, 2008 and the course will Friday December 5, 2008.
The selected individuals can receive the course showing you as a sponsor or sent anonymously.
If you have any questions, contact Educational Services.
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” – Mark Twain
DHS Announces New Requirements for Maritime Cargo Carriers and Importers - ISF
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced new information requirements on maritime cargo destined for the United States. The Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements interim final rule will require maritime cargo carriers and importers to submit additional data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before vessels are permitted entry into the country
The rule requires carriers to submit a vessel stow plan and container status messages under certain scenarios where cargo containers are destined for the United States. The rule also requires importers or their agents to submit an Importer Security Filing (ISF) with eight data elements, no later than 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard a vessel
CBP will require an Importer Security Filing (ISF) prior to vessels leaving foreign ports destined for the U.S.
The ISF replaces the former "10 + 2" Rule and requires 10 elements of data from the importer and 2 elements of data from the carrier.
The interim final rule includes a delayed compliance for 12 months and CBP will show restraint in enforcing the rule. Complete information is on the DHS web site:
More information..
CBP to Hold 2009 C-TPAT Seminar in New Orleans
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that it will hold the 2009 C-TPAT Supply Chain Security Seminar from April 1-3, 2009 in New Orleans. Registration will begin on Monday, January 5, 2009 via the C-TPAT Members' page on CBP's website.
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/cargo_security/ctpat/ctpat_members/
FDA Issues Import Alert on Milk Products from China
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is detaining a wide variety of human food and animal food products from China that contain milk. Import Alert (IA) #99-30, issued by FDA, states that the agency is detaining, without physical examination, all milk products,
Burmese Jade Act
Burmese Jade, Jadeite or Rubies mined in or extracted from Burma are Prohibited Merchandise. Non-Burmese imports of Jade, Jadeite with HTS headings of 7103, 7113 and 7116 now require Importer Certification. There is a grace period until Oct 26, 2008 and CBP will begin enforced compliance on Oct 27, 2008
New First Sale Rule
A grace period that is being granted to importers with regard to the implementation of the First Sale Declaration Requirement established under section 15422(a) in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill.
The First Sale Declaration Requirement was implemented on August 20, 2008 and CBP has extended a grace period of September 19, 2008 for importers to comply.
What is "First Sale" and how does it impact importers and Customs Brokers? The entire explaination... more
Rules of Origin
CBP publishes proposed rule change for Rules of Origin. Under the proposal, Substantial Transformation and Country of Origin would be determined using NAFTA like rules for tariff shifts found in 19 CFR Part 102.. The exceptions would be countries that have trade agreements in place with their own tariff shift requirements, metal flanges, printed greeting cards, glass and fiber optics and certain prepared rice products.
The noticed was published in the Federal Register for public comment.
E-Violations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of International Trade recently implemented e-Allegations, an online trade violation reporting system, that will allow individuals to anonymously report suspected violations of customs laws and regulations to CBP.
Under CBP's new e-Allegations system, individuals may report information regarding suspected violations of customs laws, such as misclassification of merchandise, false country of origin markings, health and safety issues, valuation issues and intellectual property rights, via an online form on the CBP web site.
New Change for 9802.00.80
Customs has issued a Final Rule and amended 19CFR 10.16. The Final Rule stems from a court case filed by Chrysler v. United States. Chrysler ships automotive body parts and sends the body parts to Mexico for assembly. In Mexico the assembler would prime, heat treat, then paint the body panels prior to assembly. Chrysler argued painting as an "incidental" operation and thereby permitted. The case went before the US Court of Appeals and CBP issued the Final Rule. More
Customs Broker License Exam - Proposed Rule Change
May 27, 2008 - A proposed rule change was published in the Federal Register by CBP changing who may sit for the Customs Broker Exam. The proposed rule change would roll back to the previous requirement - that to be eligible to take the Customs Broker Exam, the applicant must be 21 years old and a citizen of the United States at the time of the Exam. Comments must be submitted by July 21, 2008. This will not have an impact on anyone preparing for the October Customs Broker Exam, but may impact applicants on the April 2009 Customs Broker Exam.
Relief for Burma Disaster
The Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized Financial transactions in support of humanitarian activities in Burma for the next 120 days.
31 CFR 537 prohibits financial transactions in Burma has been amended for relief efforts. General License 14 has also been amended for 120 days.
New Country of Origin
The United States has now recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state. During the transition, U.S. Customs will permit the importation of merchandise with the Country of Origin marking of "Republic of Kosovo" or "Serbia". Quick Cram has been updated.
"10 + 2" Security Filing
American Customs Association published Federal Register
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) requiring importers and carriers to electronically submit additional information on cargo before it is brought into the United States by vessel. The Security Filing, also known as “10+2,” is another step in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) strategy to better assess and identify high-risk shipments to prevent terrorist weapons and materials from entering the United States. More.
PEA - Post Entry Amendment
US Customs has terminated the use of Supplementary Information Letters (SLI) to change an Entry Summary prior to liquidation. The intent is to reduce paperwork for both importers and the CBP. The requirements are fundamentally the same; PEA must be filed at least 20 days before liquidation - more
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