The budget cuts that took effect March 1 reduced CBP's ability to use the funds collected through user fees for inspection services, said National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley in testimony submitted to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which held a March 14 hearing on border security issues. The sequestration cuts pare back CBP's mandatory spending, including user fee accounts, by $100 million, she said.
Frank Schweitzer, previously associate general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, joins K&L Gates as a partner in the firm's international arbitration and international trade practices.
The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) Wage Scale Committee voted to recommend approval of a six-year agreement with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), according to a press release. The contract will now go to ILA's and USMX's members for ratification.
Two of CBP's offices in Washington state will close a half hour early beginning March 18, said CBP Seattle in a Trade Information Notice (TIN). The two offices, the Nevada Street Trade Office and the Port of Tacoma Office will operate from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the notice said. Those offices currently operate through 5 p.m.
CBP Assistant Commissioner of the Office of International Trade Al Gina is unable to attend the Trade and Transportation Conference April 3 in person due to a freeze on non-essential travel related to government budget cuts, said the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT). Gina will still give the keynote on April 3, but will now appear via live Webcast, said CONECT.
CBP will host a Webinar to discuss its pilot program using the Participating Government Agency (PGA) Message Set within the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), said CBP in a CSMS message. The Webinar is scheduled for March 20 from 2-4 p.m. ET, said CBP. "While this webinar is not intended to cover how the pilots will be deployed, the webinar will cover available information on how the pilots will operate," it said. The Environmental Protection Agency "will discuss the specifics of their pilot using the PGA Message Set data elements for ozone-depleting substances, and vehicles and engines," and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) " will discuss the specifics of their pilot using the PGA Message Set for products covered by the Import Inspection Application, the FSIS Form 9540-1."
The planned changes to the 19 CFR Part 111 regulations that govern customs brokers are still several stages away from implementation, said Elena Ryan, acting director of Trade Facilitation and Administration at CBP, who is overseeing the process for the agency. Ryan declined to put a time frame on the expected changes, but said the rulemaking process can sometimes be a multi-year process. While some of the discussed changes are more contentious than others, the update will be part of a single rulemaking, rather than piece by piece changes, she said in an interview.
The amount of freight carried for-hire rose 1.2% in January from December, rising for the third consecutive month, said the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI). The rail and trucking increases were partly due to inventory growth, said BTS.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) approved an agreement between the G6 alliance, a group of six carriers that share vessel space, that will allow for more Trans-Pacific Trade for the group, said FMC Commissioner William Doyle in a March 12 statement. The alliance, made up of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line filed the request with the FMC in February (see 13021217).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues: