CBP plans to stop publication of canceled individual or corporate customs broker licenses in the Federal Register, the agency said in a notice (here). The cancellations are in response to voluntary requests from brokers that no longer want to or cannot conduct customs business, said CBP. While the agency has historically published the cancellations, it is "not required by statute or regulation, but rather has been provided by CBP as courtesy notice to the public," it said. "Given the ease of access to current information available online and with consideration for the most efficient use of CBP customs broker management resources, CBP will no longer publish notice of customs broker license or permit cancellations." Instead, CBP will maintain a list of active brokers on its site, the agency said. CBP will continue to publish Federal Register notices for customs broker licenses that have been suspended or revoked, it said..

CBP is requesting comments by Feb. 9 on an existing information collection for applications to use the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection with a change to the burden hours.

The customs broker’s license examination scheduled for April 2015 will be on Monday, April 13, said CBP in a notice (here). While CBP didn't provide any additional information, the exam typically consists of 80 multiple-choice questions. Exam topics usually include: Entry, Classification, Country of Origin, Trade Agreements, Antidumping/Countervailing Duty, Value, Broker Responsibilities, FP&F, Protests, Marking, Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise, Drawback, Intellectual Property Rights, and other subjects pertinent to a broker's duties. The agency said it will post more information soon.

CBP and Italy's customs agency, Agenzia Delle Dogane E Dei Monopoli, worked in tandem to seize about 115,000 counterfeit items from April 23 through May 10, said CBP in a press release (here). The joint effort, nicknamed Operation Dolce Vita, focused on high value luxury items from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The seizures included watches and jewelry, footwear and 63,000 bottles of perfume, it said.

CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske will attend the World Customs Organization's 72nd Session of the Policy Commission in Recife, Brazil, CBP said in a press release. (here). The policy commission is a steering group for the WCO Council. Kerlikowske, the head of delegation for the U.S., will also participate in several bilateral meetings "with his counterparts to advance strategic CBP trade initiatives," including "capacity building" and "increased targeting cooperation and agreements," the agency said.

CBP posted a list of the fiscal year 2014 Clearing Account Balances as of Oct. 1, 2014 related to the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act. This report (here) lists the amounts contained in the Clearing Account for each CDSOA eligible case. These amounts represent estimated antidumping and countervailing duties filed with the entry prior to Oct. 1, 2007, it said. These are preliminary numbers and may be refunded at liquidation to the importer of record based upon Commerce’s final determination on the case, which may not occur during the current year. Funds do not transfer from the Clearing Account to the Special Account for CDSOA distribution until liquidation occurs. The Clearing Account does not include additional duty assessed at liquidation or reliquidation. The total listed for antidumping duties is $81,386,529.91 and the total listed for CV duties is $3,707,079.80. CBP recently posted the CDSOA annual disbursement report and a list of uncollected duties (see 1412050025).

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Dec. 4, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at http://adcvd.cbp.dhs.gov/adcvdweb.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:

CBP posted some reports on fiscal year 2014 Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (also known as the "Byrd Amendment") payments and collection. CBP lists $107.6 million in uncollected antidumping duties.

CBP plans to hold one trade symposium on the East Coast and another on the West Coast, said Maria Luisa Boyce, senior trade advisor at CBP, during a Dec. 4 webinar hosted by Integration Point. The agency is still working to schedule the events, but the dates will likely be announced in January, she said. CBP hasn't held a West Coast symposium since 2012.