BIS along with the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of State are taking coordinated steps to implement portions of the National Security Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba. Included in these actions is a BIS rule to amend the licensing policy for Cuba and portions of three license exceptions available for exports and reexports to Cuba: License Exceptions Gift Parcels and Humanitarian Donations, Consumer Communications Devices, and Support for the Cuban People.

In April 2015, the NCBFAA filed a petition with the Federal Maritime Commission requesting that the FMC initiate a rulemaking to further deregulate NVOCC rate tariffs. As you know, in addition to publishing rates in tariff form, the FMC has previously issued two exemptions for the benefit of NVOCCs. The first exemption was called NVOCC Service Arrangements ("NSAs"), which permitted NVOs to enter into private confidential contracts with their customers in a manner that is akin to service contracts that VOCCs enter into with their shipper customers. That exemption required that these NSAs be treated exactly like service contracts from a regulatory perspective, so that NVOCCs using them had to both file a copy of the contract with the FMC and publish their essential terms in a rate tariff. The second exemption pertained to NVOCC rate arrangements ("NRAs"), which permitted NVOCCs to avoid having to publish rate tariffs at all. Instead, NVOs were permitted provide their customers with rate quotations and, assuming the customers accepted, the traffic could move on that basis without having to memorialize the rates in rate tariff form. However, the NRA exemption also had disadvantages, in that: (1) the NRA could not be amended, (2) shippers were required to sign them, and (3) they could not properly include other economic terms such as commitments to ship specified volumes, liquidated damages, credit terms, etc.

The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee introduced a long-anticipated Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) containing more than 1800 duty suspensions or duty reductions. The bill is a bipartisan, bicameral effort which follows a year long administrative process at the International Trade Commission to review petitions from companies.

The U.S. Census Bureau released data findings from the 2014 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs Exporting Firms Summary.

On October 25, CBP administered the inaugural electronic version of its Customs Broker Licensing Exam and many applicants were subjected to unsatisfactory testing conditions. As news of the examination difficulties arose, the NCBFAA requested members provide feedback to both CBP and NCBFAA with their experiences. Difficulties test takers faced included:

The Commerce Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the two agencies to work together to facilitate international e-commerce and strengthen enforcement of U.S. customs laws. The fast-changing e-commerce trade environment requires collaboration on policies and programs to help U.S. businesses compete in international markets.

CBP has announced that effective January 1, 2018, a number of CBP user fees will be adjusted for inflation in keeping with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Fees affected by this 2.677 percent increase include the commercial vessel arrival fees, commercial truck arrival fees, railroad car arrival fees, private vessel arrival fees, private aircraft arrival fees, commercial aircraft and vessel passenger arrival fees, dutiable mail fees, customs broker permit user fees, barges and other bulk carrier arrival fees, and merchandise processing fees. CBP described its procedures for adjusting these user fees to reflect inflation in a release.

The FMC has launched a webpage dedicated to reporting on the agency's regulatory reform initiative. Building upon recent Presidential Executive Orders, the Commission's regulatory reform initiative is a voluntary effort to evaluate the agency's existing regulations and programs, and make recommendations regarding their repeal, replacement or modification. The Commission recently sought input from the public on this reform effort through a Notice of Inquiry, and is working to move the Commission's regulatory reform initiative forward expeditiously. Karen V. Gregory, the Commission's Regulatory Reform Officer, notes that "this webpage will further the Commission's effort to keep the public informed and engaged in the regulatory reform process."

In an effort to provide sufficient guidance for two license exceptions included in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), this final rule, published in the Wednesday November 1 Issue of the Federal Register, makes clarifications to License Exception Governments, International Organizations, International Inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the International Space Station (GOV) and adds five notes, along with making other minor clarifications, to License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA).

This past week, NCBFAA President Geoff Powell and Legislative Representative Jon Kent attended Acting Commissioner McAleenan's Senate Finance confirmation hearing. Mr. Powell noted that McAleenan has "clear bi-partisan support" and believes he "did a phenomenal job answering specific questions on a wide range of issues, which demonstrated his extensive knowledge and confirms NCBFAA's endorsement of him to become the next Commissioner." Additionally, Mr. Powell attended the Southern Border Conference in Laredo, Texas, representing the NCBFAA along with our respective area Board of Director members. It was a very well attended conference that included senior executives from CBP, FDA and numerous trade partners. He was on a panel Friday with Federico Zuniga, who discussed NEI activities, and Ricardo Zaragoza, of CAAAREM, where they discussed the important work each of our respective associations are addressing on a number of issues.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to monitor and highlight key changes with regards to the May 28 Court of International Trade (CIT) opinion invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, the U.S. government's appeal through the Court of Appeals in the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and what that will mean for our customs broker members.

NCBFAA has opened registration for the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) to be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington on Sept. 7-9. We urge attendees to register now to take advantage of the special room block and early bird savings!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance providing drug manufacturers with recommendations on replacing color additives in drugs.

The HTS Sequencing Toolkit on the NCBFAA Customs Committee Webpage has been updated to include some helpful information about how to use the Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS).

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) has provided a roundup of the latest PGA news, including a Withhold Release Order involving a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel, APHIS permitting fresh pineapple from Indonesia, and the continuation of live animal import restrictions from Mexico.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to monitor and highlight key changes with regards to the May 28 Court of International Trade (CIT) opinion invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, the U.S. government's appeal through the Court of Appeals in the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and what that will mean for our customs broker members.

NCBFAA has opened registration for the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) to be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington on Sept. 7-9. We urge attendees to register now to take advantage of the special room block and early bird savings!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance providing drug manufacturers with recommendations on replacing color additives in drugs.

The HTS Sequencing Toolkit on the NCBFAA Customs Committee Webpage has been updated to include some helpful information about how to use the Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS).

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) has provided a roundup of the latest PGA news, including a Withhold Release Order involving a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel, APHIS permitting fresh pineapple from Indonesia, and the continuation of live animal import restrictions from Mexico.

The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to monitor and highlight key changes with regards to the May 28 Court of International Trade (CIT) opinion invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, the U.S. government's appeal through the Court of Appeals in the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and what that will mean for our customs broker members.

NCBFAA has opened registration for the 2025 Government Affairs Conference (GAC) to be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington on Sept. 7-9. We urge attendees to register now to take advantage of the special room block and early bird savings!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance providing drug manufacturers with recommendations on replacing color additives in drugs.

The HTS Sequencing Toolkit on the NCBFAA Customs Committee Webpage has been updated to include some helpful information about how to use the Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS).

The NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) has provided a roundup of the latest PGA news, including a Withhold Release Order involving a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel, APHIS permitting fresh pineapple from Indonesia, and the continuation of live animal import restrictions from Mexico.