Express Assns Support Bill to Raise De Minimis & Informal Entry Levels
The Express Association of America (EEA)1 and 20 other express and import associations2 wrote a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin, urging them to identify a process for moving H.R. 1653 forward, and passing the bill. This bill would raise the de minimis and informal entry levels for low value shipments where the cost of customs processing outweigh the value of any duty collected.
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Say Bill Would Allow CBP to Focus Efforts on Security Instead of Entry Processing
The associations state that the bill would simplify and streamline the customs entry process and offer significant benefits to both the trade and the government. By reducing and simplifying the workload for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the changes would allow officers to focus their efforts more on security issues and higher risk shipments. The changes would allow CBP to allocate resources from entry document processing and review to security, targeting and trade facilitation.
With more shipments eligible for informal entry procedures, total costs would be reduced for all customers, and small businesses with numerous low value shipments would see a proportionately greater reduction in costs. The advantages would also accrue to personal shippers in the form of simplified procedures for entry and release, less paperwork and reduced costs.
(Note that in July 2010, a CBP official stated that the agency had drafted a proposed rule providing for increases of both the de minimis and informal entry values, however, this proposed rule has not yet been published. See ITT's Online Archives or 07/28/10 news, 10072830, for BP summary.)
1EEA members include DHL, FedEx, TNT and UPS.
2Airforwarders Association (AFA), Air Transport Association (ATA), American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), American Trucking Associations (ATA), Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom), Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance (CANAMBTA), Cargo Airline Association (CAA), Coalition of Service Industries (CSI), Express Logistics Association (XLA), Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), National Association of Free Trade Zones (NAFTZ), National Retail Federation (NRF), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), TechAmerica, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), United States Council for International Business (USCIB), U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USAITA), and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/18/11 news, 11041701, for BP summary of this bill being introduced to Congress.)
Letter is available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.