CH Powell acquired The Irwin Brown Company at the beginning of the year, Irwin Brown said in a notice on its website. Irwin Brown is headquartered in New Orleans and has an office along the Gulf Coast. "This acquisition allows CH Powell Company to expand its import brokerage services in this important region," CH Powell said in an emailed news release. "With growing trade in Central and South America and the continual growth of imports from Asia to the Gulf, CH Powell and the Irwin Brown team are well positioned to expand its national and international foot print." The deal "was initiated by the retirement of Shelly Bernstein, Irwin Brown’s president," CH Powell said.

Sobel Shipping and Network Brokers International will merge, forming Sobel Network Shipping, the companies said in a news release. Among other offerings, Sobel Network Shipping will be a "nationally permitted Customs broker employing six highly experienced Customs brokers," it said.

The expiration of Generalized System of Preferences benefits at the end of 2017 are estimated to cost U.S. companies between $2.5 million and $3 million per day, the Coalition for GSP said on its website. "It is critical that importers continue claiming GSP for eligible products despite the expiration," said the group, which advocates for GSP beneficiaries in the U.S. "Companies must pay the taxes, but claiming GSP now will help expedite any refund process assuming Congress renews GSP retroactively. In the event of a prolonged expiration, it also will ensure that the Coalition does not underestimate costs of expiration, which are based on claimed imports." House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, recently said GSP renewal is an early priority for 2018 (see 1712210029). CBP provided instructions for GSP filers following expiration last month (see 1712200005).

December imports at major retail container ports in the U.S. are expected to increase 1.5 percent compared with December a year ago, suggesting that retailers are restocking in preparation for the holiday selling season’s “final days,” the National Retail Federation said in its monthly port tracker report. With the expected December rise in imports, NRF forecasts the year “should end with a healthy 6.4 percent increase over 2016,” it said. “Retailers are doing last-minute restocking as consumers head toward the finish line of the shopping season, but the majority of holiday merchandise is already in the country and ports are beginning to quiet down.” Ports covered in the tracker report are expected to handle 1.6 million 20-foot-long cargo containers or their equivalents in December, bringing 2017's total to a record 20 million containers, topping last year’s previous record of 18.8 million containers, the group said.

Cargo Network Services, a subsidiary of the International Air Transport Association, and PayCargo will work together to offer an "efficient payment solution for Imports into the U.S. called the PayCargo-CNS System," the companies said in a news release. The system "will become the online payment processing engine for expedited payments at U.S. stations of participating Airlines for Import Service Fees, as well as other additional incidental fees normally collected before an importer can retrieve their cargo from the airport facility," the companies said. "Importers will be able to make online payments within minutes, and the payment data will flow to the Airline immediately allowing the importer to pick up their cargo at the airport facility within one (1) hour for a simple flat fee of $5.00 per transaction. The Airlines will receive their funds from PayCargo-CNS overnight and see their funds in their bank account the next morning."

Livingston International is working to prevent drastic changes to NAFTA that the company believes "would lead to job loss in key sectors, such as automotive and agriculture, while raising the price of everyday consumer goods," it said in a blog post. Still, "in the event there are substantial changes to NAFTA or a termination of the agreement, Livingston will have solutions in place to ensure businesses are able to adjust to the new trade rules with limited disruption to trade flows and operations," it said.

UPS acquired Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services (STTAS) on Nov. 30, UPS said in a Dec. 4 news release. STTAS, the consulting and trade compliance arm of the Sandler Travis law and lobbying firm, "will continue to provide its same services, from the same offices with use of the same personnel," STTAS said in a news release. It will also "continue to serve as a resource" for Sandler Travis "on joint client issues as it has in the past." Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Pennington P.A. recently merged with The Mooney Law Firm, Pennington said on its website. Pennington will take on Mooney's lawyers, Neil Mooney, Shannon Liang and Edward Recio, it said. The Mooney Law Firm "will continue in existence, but only to wind down certain far-along matters or represent a handful of clients having an annual retainer," Mooney said on the firm's website. Pennington has offices in Tallahassee, Miami and Tampa.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America will increase its membership dues by 5 percent for 2018, the NCBFAA said in an email to members. The rates are based on the number of employees for members and the maximum rates for regular members will increase to $5,873.05 in 2018, it said. The increase is due to the "need for advocacy over the last year and the rising costs associated to remain in a position in which we can address the challenges and opportunities within our industry," it said. The group's Board of Directors approved the increase earlier this year, the NCBFAA said.

UPS has joined the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance, a forum for development of blockchain technology standards and education for the freight industry, and is exploring applications in its customs brokerage business, UPS announced Nov. 7. The technology would help improve transaction accuracy and by replacing paper-heavy and manual processes, which should help all parties involved in the transactions, UPS said. “Blockchain, a digital database using blocks that are linked and secured by cryptography, can be used to keep record of any information or assets,” the company said. “This includes physical assets, like transportation containers, or virtual assets, like digital currencies.”