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.
1. DDTC Forms With Expiration Date of 9/30 Still Valid
Licensed Motor Carriers (LMCs) must submit their Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program concession applications by Wednesday, September 24, 2008 to be approved as trucking concessionaires by the October 1, 2008 start date of the Port's Clean Truck Program. The Port will continue receiving and processing applications on an ongoing basis, but based on the overwhelming response by the trucking community, the Port cannot ensure that applications received after September 24 will be processed by October 1. (Port of Los Angeles news release, dated 09/19/08, available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/newsroom/2008_releases/news_091908ctpapp.pdf.)
The Port of Long Beach will host a workshop on the Clean Trucks Program for beneficial cargo owners (BCOs), ocean carriers, customs brokers and freight forwarders and other logistics industry professionals at 1 p.m. September 11, 2008 at the Port Administration Building, 925 Harbor Plaza. The workshop will be webcast live. (POLB press release available at http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=436&targetid=1.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously announced that the next customs broker license examination will be held on Monday, October 6, 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Soldering and Welding Machines and Apparatus.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Classification of Molds and Their Parts Under the HTSUS.
The International Longshore & Warehouse Union caucus delegates voted unanimously on August 21, 2008 to send the proposed contract to the membership for their review and vote. (ILWU notice available at http://contract2008.org/.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a revised version of its informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Vehicles, Parts and Accessories Under the HTSUS.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a new informed compliance publication entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Classification and Marking of Pipe Fittings under Heading 7307.