New lobbyist registrations on trade-related issues include:
CBP posted a Dec. 26 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP also posted a version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.
CBP's Los Angeles field office chose Price Transfer as a Centralized Examination Station to be used for anti-terrorism contraband enforcement and outbound enforcement examinations, it said in a public bulletin. The agency also approved proposed fee schedule changes, it said.
CBP released its Dec. 26 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 51). While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does include recent Court of International Trade decisions and general notices.
Settlement Reached on Customs Broker Exam Lawsuit, Test Taker to Receive Passing Grade for 2011 Exam
An aspiring customs broker will receive a long-awaited passing grade for her customs exam after the Justice Department agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against CBP in the Court of International Trade, according to a recently filed settlement agreement. CBP will give Linh Pittman, who took the exam in Atlanta in 2011, "written confirmation that she received a passing grade on the customs broker licensing exam," the settlement agreement said. Pittman, who is represented by Jon Fee, a lawyer with Alston Bird, filed her initial appeal with CBP in 2012.
Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants (here)
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.
The Environmental Protection Agency updated its notice of arrival (NOA) 3540-1 form, said CBP in a CSMS message. Imported pesticides and devices require a NOA to be presented upon arrival as part of the Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act, said CBP. The NOA form is available (here).
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
A group of 15 governors urged Congressional leadership and President Barack Obama to give their support to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement in a Dec. 23 letter. The letter, sent to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the trade deals will help drive increased market access. "Reductions in trade barriers and increased market access allows our businesses, workforce, agricultural producers, and service sectors to compete on a more level playing field to help drive economic growth and increase family incomes," they said. "We are encouraged by the comprehensive nature of these agreements, but we do want to underscore that the primary purpose of the agreements should be to increase market access, including improved access for US agricultural and manufactured goods abroad, while establishing ambitious rules to protect intellectual property, empower American workers, ensure fair competition with state-owned enterprises, and foster the digital economy."