Originally Published by the Journal of Commerce in August 2016

In the face of its recent reorganization and enhanced computer system, it was really only a matter of time before the trade community started to see Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) better organize its enforcement efforts, and now the first tangible step has been publicly

In earlier editions of this blog, we first summarized the new law and then addressed the intellectual property rights changes it contained. Now, we turn to the export focused provisions in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (“TFTEA”). Mainly those export provisions have to do with information collection for targeting.  However, new initiatives for

Among its many provisions, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (“TFTEA” or the “Act”), H.R. 644, formally establishes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) as a department within Homeland Security (“DHS”). Section 802(a) contains the key provisions. That section amends Section 411 of the Homeland Security Act and the U.S. Code to reflect the

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in January 2016

In writing this article, it was interesting to look back and see whether the old crystal ball was accurate in its predictions in earlier years. Truthfully, the expectation was the old themes were similar over time, and that turned out to be the case. Those

A version of this article was also published by the Journal of Commerce in February 2016.

What a difference a few days make! Up until Monday, February 8th, it was understood that on February 28th, CBP entries, and those filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and

On February 28, 2016, those involved with imports and exports are preparing to undergo a major transition. As of that date, all entries must be filed using the new Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system. ACE not only replaces the current Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system, but is designed to reengineer CBP’s operational processes; develop

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in June 2015

This oft-stated warning is certainly true for those who engage in international trade. For many years, industry has complained to government about different agencies wanting different information at different times in the release process; some would take the data electronically, while others insisted on hard

At the AAEI Conference, the topic of one face at the border was discussed in the context of an update. The efforts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) take place through the Border Interagency Executive Council. Right now, the Council is co-chaired by CBP (Asst. Comm. Al Gina) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Director,

At a webinar on Friday, October 7th, Cindy Allen of Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) office spoke about planned changes regarding liquidation information. As has been previously reported, for money-saving reasons, CBP is doing way with mailing courtesy notices of liquidation to importers as each entry liquidates. While perhaps understandable as