The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a final rule, effective April 5, 2007, to implement the Mexican Cement Import Licensing System, which among other things, requires all importers of subject cement from Mexico to obtain an import license from the ITA prior to completing their U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) entry summary documentation.
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.
In U.S. v. Optrex America, Inc., the Court of International Trade considered the issue of 1592 negligence and the exercise of reasonable care, and concluded that there were genuine issues of material fact that required further adjudication.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously announced that the next Customs Broker License Examination will be held on Monday, April 2, 2007.
According to The Journal of Commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is very close to mutual recognition status with New Zealand's Security Export Scheme, a program available to the top 200 NZ companies that account for 60 percent of exports to the U.S. (JoC, dated 01/22/07, available at www.joc.com )
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice reopening the comment period until February 26, 2007 on its proposed rule to amend its regulations governing foreign and domestic drug establishment registration and listing for human drugs, including drugs that are regulated under a biologics license application, and animal drugs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously announced that the next Customs Broker License Examination will be held on Monday, April 2, 2007.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a new informed compliance publication (ICP) entitled, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Decals, Decorative Stickers and "Window Clings."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice on its Web site, entitled Notice of Examination for April 2007, which announces that the next Customs Broker License Examination will be held on Monday, April 2, 2007.
CBP has issued an ABI administrative message stating that on December 8, 2006 the port of Chicago will be moving to the Rosemont, Illinois facility. Due to the move, people should not to deliver any duty payments or customs paperwork to the port of Chicago office. As a result, December 8, 2006 will be considered a snow day. CBP is extending one additional day without penalty for the filing and payment of entry summaries due on that day. (CBP Adm: 06-1204, dated 12/05/06, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2006/2006-1204.ADM)
In Retamal and Galvin v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, The CAFC rules that it did not have subject matter jurisdiction to consider the revocation of a customs broker's license for failure to timely file a Triennial Status Report, and remanded the case back to the CIT for dismissal.