On April 5, 2011 a Justice Department official spoke at an NCBFAA conference1, and discussed how DOJ is interpreting the facilitation payments exception to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act's (FCPA) anti-bribery provisions.
Licensed Customs Broker
Customs brokers are entities who assist importers in meeting federal requirements governing imports into the United States. Brokers can be private individuals, partnerships, associations or corporations licensed, regulated and empowered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Customs brokers oversee transactions related to customs entry and admissibility of merchandise, product classification, customs valuation, payment of duties, taxes, or other charges such as refunds, rebates, and duty drawbacks. To obtain a customs broker license, an individual must pass the U.S. Customs Broker License Exam. Customs brokers are not government employees and should not be confused with CBP officials. There are approximately 11,000 active licensed customs brokers in the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources have informed Broker Power that the pass rate for the April 2011 customs broker license exam was 19%.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its informed compliance publication entitled Customs Valuation Encyclopedia (1980-2010).
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 18-22, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is announcing that the following individual Customs broker licenses, as well as any and all associated permits, have been cancelled due to the death of the broker:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is announcing that the following Customs broker licenses, as well as any and all associated permits, are cancelled without prejudice:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is announcing that the following Customs broker license, as well as any and all associated permits, has been revoked with prejudice:
On April 12, 2011 the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc. sent a letter to the Federal Maritime Commission stating that more work is needed to ensure the benefits of FMC's final rule to exempt licensed non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from the rate tariff publication requirements of the Shipping Act of 1984, if they agree to negotiated rate arrangements (NRAs) with their shippers.1
On April 13, 2011 at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s annual Trade Symposium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection described its new “broker revision” initiative and received input from the trade on the changing role of the broker.
On April 4, 2011, Federal Maritime Commissioner Michael Khouri spoke at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) Annual Conference, where he discussed the Commission’s ongoing inquiry of the EU’s elimination of antitrust immunity, its investigations of household goods movement and vessel and equipment capacity, and the possibility of extending negotiated rate arrangement (NRA) benefits to certain foreign NVOs.