Craig Briess, acting chief of the Trade Agreements Branch at CBP, launched an app version of CustomsMobile, a website for customs information (see 1410280013), he said in a news release. While Briess works for CBP, CustomsMobile "is a wholly private endeavor and is not funded, approved, or endorsed by the federal government," he said.. The website and app, which are both free, include current information on customs rulings, customs notices, port information, harmonized tariff schedule, and federal regulations. “Customs has, as a matter of policy, been pushing to modernize its services, including the intention to create apps," he said. "So far they have made a handful, however none of them provide any of the services that CustomsMobile offers." The app is available for iOS and Android devices.

The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration recently signed a new strategic partnership agreement with the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America to strengthen the logistics and transportation industry, promote trade and investment, and enforce U.S. trade laws, said the NCBFAA in a press release sent on Sept. 21. The partnership “seeks to increase awareness of the economic benefits of international trade, educate the public on trade activities as a job creator and development strategy, as well as encourage U.S businesses to accelerate their exporting operations while simultaneously generating interest from foreign companies to coordinate with ITA regarding importing valuable commodities,” said the release.

Geodis agreed to buy OHL for an undisclosed amount, the companies said Aug. 17 in a news release (here). OHL's offerings include a customs brokerage and import and export consulting services. The deal will close following the "usual regulatory approvals" and "will be financed with available cash resources and through existing and new debt arrangements," said Geodis. OHL will be rebranded as Geodis, it said. OHL is currently owned by private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, while Geodis is a European subsidiary of SNCF Logistics.

UPS agreed to buy Coyote Logistics for $1.8 billion, the companies said on July 31 (here). The deal is expected to close within thirty days and is subject to "customary conditions and regulatory approvals," the companies said. UPS will pay with available cash and existing and new debt arrangements, it said. Based in Chicago, "Coyote arranges customers’ freight shipments on available trucking capacity contracted to members of its large carrier network," the companies said. "UPS has also identified revenue growth and fleet efficiency synergy opportunities by hauling shipments arranged by Coyote using existing UPS backhaul capacity within its tractor/trailer fleet."

King & Spalding will expand its international trade and regulatory practices through a collaboration with DTB Associates, a Washington consulting group, said the law firm (here). The collaboration will "provide clients with one-stop access to world-renowned legal and policy expertise across key sectors," it said.

Volvo Cars of North America extended its customs brokerage services contract with CEVA Logistics by two years, the supply chain company said in a press release on July 9 (here). CEVA provided customs services to Volvo over the past year through an original one year contract, it said. “CEVA’s deep understanding of our business enables them to suggest and deliver improvements, large and small, that provide tangible value,” said Jennifer Klees, the Customs Manager of Volvo. CEVA provides customs brokerage services to Volvo from its Detroit offices, it said.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published the 16th edition of its Restricted Substances List (here), which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The AAFA generally releases the list every six months. The “AAFA created the RSL over eight years ago in response to the growing need to keep track of international and national regulations restricting use of certain chemicals in our products," said Juanita Duggan, the group's CEO, in a press release (here).

Scarbrough International will acquire Laredo Becnel, a customs brokerage in Texas, and Despachos HuGo S.C., a logistics and customs company in Mexico, said Scarbrough (here). "This strategic acquisition will expand Scarbrough’s capability throughout the south and into Mexico," the company said. The acquisition is expected to close Aug. 1, it said..

FedEx agreed to pay TNT Express $4.8 billion to acquire all of TNT's shares, the companies said in a press release (here). The deal would "transform FedEx’s European capabilities and accelerate global growth," it said. The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2016 and "are confident that anti-trust concerns, if any, can be addressed adequately in a timely fashion."

Revenue from customs brokerage services at Expeditors International rose 8 percent in 2014 over the previous year to over $1.6 billion due to “increased volumes from existing and new customers,” according to the company’s annual 10-K report recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (here). However, the company only saw a 4 percent increase in net revenue from customs brokerage services due to a 12 percent increase in brokerage-related expenses in 2014, it said.