Filers will now have until Sept. 1 before they are required to use recently updated CBP Forms 5106 (Importer ID Input Record) and 301 (Bond), the agency said in CSMS messages. CBP previously said use of the new forms would be mandatory as of July 1 (see 14053009 and 14053010), but "due to the request of trade," the grace period was pushed back to September. The only changes to the forms were to the expiration date listed on the forms. The CSMS message for Form 5106 is (here) and for Form 301 is (here).
CBP issued its June 4 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 48, No. 22), which contains the following ruling actions:
The only fumigation facility in the Port of Oakland area will close after June 30, said CBP in an information notice. As of July 1, "all shipments arriving at the Port of Oakland requiring precautionary treatment as a condition of entry will require exportation or destruction for lack of an authorized treatment," said the notice. CBP refers agriculture shipments to such Department of Agriculture-approved facilities to deal with pest and disease risks.
CBP and the Transportation Security Administration should further consult with small and medium-sized forwarders before moving ahead with proposed rules for the Air Cargo Advanced Screening (ACAS) program, said four trade groups in letters to the two agencies. ACAS, now in a pilot phase, has not included in the pilot smaller forwarders "that rely on an extensive network of independent agents at overseas airports" and for whom "the size and scope of their technology infrastructure" is widely varied, the letter said. The groups, which represent "companies that do not own planes but instead arrange for the shipment of goods by air," asked that more work be done to determine how the ACAS program will affect small and medium-sized forwarders before they are brought under its requirements.
Peter Picone pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut to importing counterfeit integrated circuits from China and Hong Kong, said ICE in a press release. Picone, from Massachusetts, sold the counterfeit circuits to U.S. customers, including to contractors for the U.S. Navy for use in nuclear submarines, said ICE. From 2007 through 2012, Picone conspired with his foreign suppliers to sell millions of dollars of circuits bearing the counterfeit marks of 35 major electronics manufacturers, according to the plea agreement. "This is the second conviction ever of trafficking in counterfeit military goods, a relatively new provision in the U.S. criminal code which was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011," said the press release.
Another member of a "$300 million international counterfeit goods conspiracy, deemed one of the largest counterfeit goods case ever prosecuted" was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for conspiracy to launder money, said ICE in a press release. Ming Zheng, who received the sentence, was among nine conspirators that previously pleaded guilty to the crimes (see 13121718). According to court documents, the group imported hundreds of containers of counterfeit goods from August 2008 through February 2012. The imports had a total retail value of over $300 million, said ICE.
Upper-level CBP officials will be able to take management courses at The University of Maryland Smith School of Business as part of a $7.2 million, five-year agreement, said the business school in a press release. The deal allows for up to an enrollment of 120 agency managers per year, it said. “When the collection of import duties, enforcing U.S. trade laws, and regulating and facilitating international trade are added to the mix, the scope of responsibilities of Customs and Border Protection professionals is simply incredible,” said Joe Thomas, academic director for the CBP program. “These expansive missions in the face of constrained resources require adaptable and resilient leaders capable of creating and maintaining a true learning organization.” The program will include courses on "strategic thinking, leadership communication, and business management to prepare them for increased levels of responsibility in CBP," it said.
Lumber Liquidators named Lisa Kuca as director, Global Product Compliance, and Rebecca Rizzuti as director, Global Trade and Customs Compliance, the company said in a press release. Kuca previously worked as a senior compliance officer at American First Title and Rizzuti comes from Foot Locker, where she was director, International Trade. Both will report to Chief Compliance and Sustainability Officer Raymond Cotton, who was hired in February. The company's compliance program attracted some attention over the last year after it was raided by federal authorities (see 13092716).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP posted a May 30 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.