The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee Broker Modernization Working Group has reached consensus and is recommending, among other things, that the Customs Broker License Exam be offered at least quarterly; that the exam should not vary in its difficulty: and that CBP consider whether it's possible to offer the exam, which has a remote-test-taking option, on demand.
Almost 20 trade groups and a handful of companies disagreed on how to ensure supply chain resilience -- many arguing that liberalizing trade with allies is crucial to reduce the likelihood of shortages, or weaponization, but others asserted that friendshoring will undermine domestic production already under stress.
A "back to basics" webinar on de minimis presented by CBP, which was watched by more than 1,900 in the trade community, didn't elaborate on the suspensions of customs brokers from Type 86, though CBP official Felicia Pullam said the agency has heard "a lot of concern in the trade community about this enforcement."
CBP posted the following documents ahead of the June 26 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting:
CBP’s May 1 customs broker license exam had a pass rate of 13%, CBP said in a document posted ahead of the June 26 meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee. There were a total of 1,132 test takers, with 179 of those taking the test remotely, CBP said.
CBP is “finalizing the selection” of five accreditors for customs broker continuing education, it said in a document released ahead of the June 26 meeting of the Customs Commercial Operations Advisory Committee. “Once the accreditor agreements are signed, CBP will work with selected accreditors to finalize implementation of the continuing education program, including development of accreditor standard operating procedures, policies, communications plans, and a program compliance date,” the agency said.
Share Logistics, a company headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, has acquired New Jersey-based customs broker Export-Import Services, the buyer announced in a June 13 news release.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2406 on June 12, containing 7 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and 2 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. The update includes an update to the Partner Government Agency (PGA) flag indicator (FD3) for FDA in support of the PGA message set, and it includes new Section 301 exclusions under subheading 9903.88.69 for articles of China that were extended from June 15, 2024, through May 31, 2025.
CBP unveiled a fact sheet on June 12 describing its activities and milestones that the agency reached in FY 2023. It said the U.S. processed over 1 billion de minimis shipments worth over $50 billion through postal, express, and non-express facilities. Within the de minimis program, CBP facilitated over 785 million transactions in Section 321 Data Pilot and Entry Type 86 Test, the fact sheet said.
The Court of International Trade on June 12 rejected customs broker Seko Customs Brokerage's motion for an expedited briefing schedule on its motion for an injunction in its suit against CBP's suspension of the company from participation in the Entry Type 86 and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs (Seko Customs Brokerage v. U.S., CIT # 24-00097).