Ciena has hired Laura Wallace, previously with Northrop Grumman, as import export compliance manager for North America, she said by email.
CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of Jan. 27. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, and tobacco; and certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, OFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, OFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying textile articles and/or other articles; the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc.
Several ports in the Southeastern U.S. were reported closed by CBP Jan. 28 and 29 due to winter storm weather in the region. CBP will allow grant extensions for entry summaries and duty payments on the days the ports were closed, said CBP.
CBP and other agencies took major strides in FY 2013 toward improving trade data processing, said the International Trade Data System (ITDS) Board of Directors in a report to Congress. The statutorily required yearly report outlines progress on deploying a "single window" to automate Participating Government Agencies' (PGA) collection and processing of required import and export information. An increase in finished memorandums of understanding (MOU) between CBP and other agencies was among the notable updates since the previous report.
Matthew Thomas, previously a partner at Reed Smith, joined Blank Rome as a partner in the firm's Washington office, it said in a press release. Thomas will work in Blank Rome's Maritime, International Trade and Public Contracts group, it said.
The American Trucking Associations reorganized in an effort to make it "more nimble in responding to the challenges facing our industry," the ATA said in a press release. All of the ATA's functions will now fall within either National Advocacy, Communications and Public Affairs and Finance and Operations, with each area headed by an executive vice president (EVP), it said. Dave Osiecki, formerly senior vice president of advocacy and regulatory affairs will be ATA’s new EVP and chief of national advocacy, Jeff Mason, formerly senior vice president of image and communications will be the group’s EVP of communications and public affairs and Karla Hulett, formerly chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance and administration was named chief operating officer and EVP of finance and operations. “By bringing together the bulk of our revenue-producing units, including membership, marketing and finance, we can keep a better eye on ATA’s bottom line and make sure our financial resources are going where they are most needed,” said Hulett.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 10 days.
New lobbyist registrations on trade-related issues include:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP will allow for an additional day for filing entry summaries that were due on Jan. 28 at the Port of New Orleans (Port Code 2002), CBP said in a CSMS message. The extra day was granted due to inclement weather, it said.