U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a COAC document providing input from licensed customs brokers who do not work for brokerage companies on the professionalism component of the five areas CBP is examining for reform for its broker revision project. The brokers state that some of the issues concerning the role of the broker could be addressed by expanding the definition of "responsible supervision and control" in 19 CFR 111.19 and 111.28 to include minimum annual education requirements. However, any continuing education requirement should take into account that about half of licensed brokers do not work for a permitted Brokerage company.

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to CBP's Web site as of August 30, 2011, along with the case number(s), period covered, and CBP message number, is provided below. These messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a document providing a list of contacts for the Trade Support Network (TSN)'s Committee, Subcommittee, Trade Ambassador, and Technical Advisory Group. The TSN is a group of trade representatives who provide input to CBP on the design and development of modernization projects, such as the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and other projects.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that on July 27, 2011, officers at the John F. Kennedy International Airport found five brick packages within the left-side wall in the aft cargo hold of an aircraft arriving from Colombia. CBP has officers that are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified aircraft mechanics who conduct physical searches of the aircraft. Officers discovered the anomaly within the wall of the cargo hold and sized a total of 5.58 kilograms (12.32 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $500,000.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that on August 23, 2011, CBP officers examined a shipment manifested as "cloth lace" arriving from India that contained hidden packages of heroin. An examination of the carton revealed 15 cloth lace packages, 12 of which were wrapped around cardboard inside plastic bags containing Heroin. A total of 329 grams (11.6 ounces) of heroin was seized, with a street value of approximately $33,000 dollars.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that officers at the Louisville UPS express consignment operation have seized over 33 pounds of prohibited substances, including a synthetic marijuana compound and packages of Afghan incense. CBP found the compounds within four shipments originating from China and destined to various locations throughout the country.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an alert announcing that various airport and seaport operations have resumed normal business hours since Hurricane Irene. Waterways leading to seaports have been reopened.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued CSMS message #11-000204 announcing that updated versions of the following ACE User Guides are now available:

CBP has issued a memorandum listing the country-specific in-quota allocations for the fiscal year 2012 raw cane sugar tariff rate quota, which will open a month early on September 1, 2011. Instructions regarding the certificate of quota eligibility (CQE), when it is required and for which fiscal period (2011 or 2012), are included in the memo.

This summary report highlights the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels¹ from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” It also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”