International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for May 31 - June 6 in case they were missed.
CBP released a fact sheet on the recently increased de minimis value threshold (here). Effective since March 10 (see 1603100010), CBP increased the de minimis limit from $200 to $800. "All existing processes and restrictions for merchandise shipments remain the same" as before the value increased, CBP said. "Even in the case of low value shipment, CBP has the right to require a formal entry on any shipment where additional information, bonding, or protection is required," it said. There's been some concern as to how the de minimis increase will affect work for brokers and importers (see 1605160030).
PHOENIX – Following the July 23 mandatory use date for most remaining entry types, the Automated Commercial System will no longer be available for entry and entry summary filings even in cases of ACE outages, said Deborah Augustin, executive director of the ACE Business Office at CBP. After all the agencies that use ACS complete the transition to ACE on July 23, CBP will begin to dismantle ACS, she said while speaking at the West Coast Trade Symposium on May 26. "So, ACS then is no longer available as a back up for processing," she said. Field operations and downtime procedures may instead come into effect if there are issues with ACE, she said.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for May 16-20 in case they were missed.
Despite a wide range of open questions about new antidumping and countervailing duty evasion enforcement proceedings, CBP fully expects to meet the required deadlines of the customs reauthorization law, said Carrie Owens, chief of CBP’s entry process and duty refund branch. Owens spoke during a panel discussion hosted by the American Bar Association on May 19. The agency is in the process of "furiously drafting" regulations and standard operating procedures related to the implementation of new AD/CVD enforcement measures, required to be implemented by Aug. 23, she said. The agency will also issue an interim final rule that will give some guidance as CBP seeks comments on proposed regulations, Owen said.
CANCUN, Mexico -- The nature of e-commerce includes several features -- high velocity, hyper high volume and low value -- that makes "a recipe for a lot of risks," from a customs perspective, said Rich DiNucci, executive director, Cargo and Conveyance Security, at CBP, while speaking on May 12 at a World Customs Organization conference. The velocity of e-commerce moves "at a rate that's going to demand changes to our processes," he said. The industry is also "highly competitive," which makes collaboration difficult right now, he said. "Every time I think that I have a handle on e-commerce mentally, I realize that I don't," he said.
The recently increased $800 de minimis limit is causing a shift in business practices for brokers and importers, and raising questions and concerns over a growing number of low value shipments, said customs brokers and importers in recent interviews. Some in the trade community still await guidance on how to proceed with low-value shipments regulated by agencies other than CBP. There is also some concern the higher limit could cause more importers to break up their shipments to avoid the entry process and associated duties, customs brokers said.
The U.S. is pushing for advance ruling procedures based on its own rules, a 48-hour target for release of goods, and a process which would set a four-hour guideline for clearing expedited shipments under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, according to documents claimed to be leaked from TTIP's customs and trade facilitation text. While neither the U.S. nor EU confirmed authenticity of the documents, both sides criticized conclusions made based on the texts. The customs text is one of 13 chapters leaked, according to Greenpeace Netherlands, which posted the texts (here).
CBP should announce mandatory ACE filing dates “as soon as possible” for any agencies or entry types for which mandatory filing dates have not yet been announced, said the Commercial Customs Advisory Committee (COAC) in a recommendation formally adopted at a meeting held April 27. Some importers surveyed say their brokers are waiting for the announcement of the deadlines, particularly for Food and Drug Administration data, before they start filing in ACE, while brokers need to know when agency data will be required so they can adequately plan their development and training efforts, said COAC members during the meeting.
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The customs reauthorization law makes for an "exciting and perhaps challenging" time for customs brokers, CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said during a speech at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America conference on April 20. He pointed to new requirements that brokers collect information on new and foreign importers and CBP's ability to revoke licenses due to terrorist involvement, as well as other pieces that will have the biggest effect on brokers. Kerlikowske was scheduled to testify on the new law for a Senate Finance Committee hearing scheduled for April 20, but it may be postponed so Kerlikowske can attend the funeral of a recently killed border agent, he said.