January 2013

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in December 2012

What happens in the regulatory arena over the next year depends in great measure on how disciplined Congress becomes. For example, where will budget cuts hit the various regulatory agencies?  Will new laws be enacted which require agencies to take on significant new responsibilities but

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in November 2012

The 2012 election is over with – thank goodness! It was an election long on attack ads and generalities, short on well-articulated positions, and generally one of the most negative election cycles the country has seen in a very long time. Much hand-wringing will occur

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in October 2012

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued the long-awaited conflict minerals regulations on September 12, 2012. See http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-09-12/html/2012-21153.htm for the full text. They take effect on November 13, 2012 and cover products that include tantalum, tin, gold or tungsten. The goal of the law is

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in August 2012

Last month, the L.A. County Bar’s Customs Law Committee had a meeting with the local U.S. Attorney.  Perhaps the most interesting point which resulted was agreement among all parties that not enough prosecutions are taking place regarding purely import/export trade fraud cases. While this might,

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in July 2012.

One of the hallmarks of an importer’s relationship with Customs and Border Protection is reasonable care. In its simplest terms, this means the importer has taken all the reasonable steps necessary to make sure the classification and value of his goods are accurately stated at

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in April 2012.

At the recent 7th Annual Homeland Security Law Institute sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section, the most interesting panel was one entitled: “Executive Agency General Counsel Panel: A Look At Homeland Security Legal and Policy Issues”.  The participants were senior attorneys from

Originalyl published by the Journal of Commerce in March 2012

A pressing issue currently confronting the customs brokerage community is what will the industry look like in the future? The corresponding issue facing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is how to finally get to the point where there is a true partnership with the brokerage

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in February 2012

In recent weeks there have been several meetings in the Los Angeles area at which local and Headquarters Customs and Border Protection (CBP) senior managers have given presentations about the priorities for the agency in the current fiscal year. Despite the fact CBP will function