Linkedin-in
Contact us

Committees

AAEI committees are the true leaders of the advocacy efforts we champion and support. As a member, you have access to 10 substantive committees, most of which meet online once a month, to discuss practical solutions to the challenges facing the trade community. Gain valuable insights and lend your voice to the conversation that ultimately generates AAEI trade actions.

Learn more about each committee below:

Automotive & Aerospace Committee

Border Interagency Committee

Customs Policy and Procedures Committee

Drawback and Duty Deferral Committee

Export and Global Trade Compliance Committee

Healthcare Industries Committee

Textiles, Apparel and Footwear Committee

Trade Policy Committee

Transpacific Committee

Committee Updates

Must be an AAEI member to attend Committee Meetings.

Automotive & Aerospace

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are discussing trade issues that affect the automotive industry. In March, the committee discussed benchmarking on hand-carry import compliance, and developing a working group on the use of AI in trade. The committee also looks at forced labor enforcement in the auto industry, and the EU’s enforcement of its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Committee Targets: Benchmarking on hand-carry import procedures; Automotive industry concerns, including USMCA rules; streamlining importer compliance for 9808 Military Duty-Free Provision; use of AI in the import process

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. EDT

Border Interagency

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are discussing CBP’s Partner Government Agencies with trade oversight and proposals to help streamline the entry process for importers.  The committee also is shaping its panel for the upcoming AAEI Annual Conference which will focus on the future for 1USG (One-Government at the border) in a panel called, PGAs: 50 “Pains” of The Single Window (see event info).

Committee Targets:  Codification of BIEC; One U.S. Government at the Border (1USG); harmonized entry processes for all PGAs

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EDT (this meeting will include a virtual benchmarking session on hand-carry import procedures)

Customs Policy and Procedures

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are working on recommendations to facilitate the import process. In March, members looked at a proposed rule to revise the Entry Summary that is reviewed by officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The committee also looked at proposals for NextGen Customs legislation, and AAEI’s talking points on de minimis.

Committee Targets: Recent trade bills; progress on Forced Labor compliance; 21CCF; Trusted Trader

Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. EDT

Drawback and Duty Deferral

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are looking at a recent court decision in Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. v. United States and its impact on an HTS issue involving “Other Other” for drawback filers.

Committee Targets: Passage of 1313(j)(5) proposal; privilege application and ruling delays; inconsistencies in direction with drawback filing at The Centers; export manifest for proof of export

Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, with in-person and remote options. This meeting will be held immediately upon the closing the AAEI’s 2024 Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Export and Global Trade Compliance

May 1, 2024 – Committee members discussed the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) expanded sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and revised restrictions targeting Iran’s supply of military drones to Russia. Members also discussed the impact of activity in the Red Sea on shipping.  Members also are receiving updates from Europe on the implementation of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and deforestation regulations.

Committee targets: Advocacy for Export Modernization; compliance requirements for international sanctions; global trade compliance; leveraging global partnerships with regional trade associations; World Customs Organization advisory; multilateral trade coalitions

Next Meeting: Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

Healthcare Industries

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are working on the impact of restructuring plans for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), timeframes for FDA work processes, FDA device error reports, pharmaceutical HTS appendix and import issues related to gene therapies. In March, members also discussed the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) product end-dating certain product codes, which went into effect last November.

Committee targets: Healthcare-specific benchmarking; quarterly meetings with FDA; Improving intended use codes; Recommendations for FDA on Import for Export (IFE)

Next Meeting: Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. This meeting will be held as an in-person meeting with a remote option on the day after the AAEI’s 2024 Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Textiles, Apparel and Footwear

May 1, 2024 – Committee members are discussing relevant issues at the heart of the ITC’s upcoming hearing on export competitiveness of certain foreign textiles suppliers to the U.S. Members are also discussing Forced Labor enforcement in the Textiles Industry.

Committee targets: Enforcement of Forced Labor Prevention laws involving apparel and footwear; Canadian “first sale;” Section 301 tariffs; Tracking e-commerce compliance

Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

Trade Policy

May 1, 2024 – Committee members focus on U.S. trade policy. In March, the committee discussed the possible timeline for GSP renewal in 2024, trade policy positions of the leading 2024 presidential candidates, and drafting an AAEI
Trade Policy Value Statement. 

Committee targets: 2024 US trade policy; Section 301 tariffs review at USTR; MTB/GSP Renewal; Monitoring impact of TRQs

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

Transpacific

May 1, 2024 – Committee members work on practical, logistical challenges for importers and exporters. In March, the committee reviewed AAEI’s comments in support of a bill on rail storage fees, funding requests from the the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and progress on Capitol Hill for passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act of 2023.

Committee targets: Implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act of 2023 and the 2022 Ocean Shipping Reform Act; FMC engagement; Demurrage and detention guidelines; supply chain infrastructure

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. EDT

AAEI Note: Interested in any of these topics and committee meetings? Become an AAEI member! Find out how to join.

The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) — the premier organization representing the community of U.S. trade professionals and companies engaged in global trade.

Quick Links

Contact us

Linkedin-in

Copyright 2024. The American Association of Exporters and Importers. All Rights Reserved.

Automotive & Aerospace Committee

Focuses on issues of interest to importers and exporters of automotive and aerospace & defense products, other bulk commodities, and related transportation companies.

Border Interagency Committee

Focuses on the unique problems of importers subject to the other government regulations - FDA, USDA, EPA, CSPC, DOT, FWS, ATF and others. This committee is generally aligned with the USG’s Border Interagency Executive Council (BIEC).

Customs Policy and Procedures Committee

Focuses on projects dealing with automation, entry revision, global customs harmonization, trade security, tariff data reporting, ISF, bonds and legislation impacting the trade community. This committee is generally aligned with US CBP’s leadership team.

Drawback and Duty Deferral Committee

Focuses on regulatory changes and administrative problems on same- condition and substitution drawback and special duty deferral programs, such as temporary import bond entries. Its goal is to get the Drawback Modernization Act passed immediately. Generally, matters of concern to Foreign Trade Zones and the Petroleum industry will be discussed, and sub-committees created as needed for specified topics. This group generally aligns with the USG CBP Drawback leadership.

Export and Global Trade Compliance Committee

Supports members engaged in U.S. export transactions and members with responsibility for trade operations and trade compliance programs globally. Discussion issues include export controls, sanctions programs, foreign barriers to U.S. exports, and the various regional challenges facing international compliance teams, such as monitoring trade developments around the world and addressing different local standards globally. This committee maintains a close alignment with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), State Department, International Trade in Arms (ITAR), Census leadership, and the World Customs Organization, as well as leveraging partnerships with regional trade associations.

Healthcare Industries Committee

To engage with legislative bodies and federal agencies (FDA, USDA, DEA, EPA) to develop guidelines and workable solutions that facilitate the import and export of life saving drugs and medical devices and also assist the agencies to fulfill their mission to ensure public health and safety.

Textiles, Apparel and Footwear Committee

Focuses on the importing and exporting of textiles, apparel and footwear.

Trade Policy Committee

Focuses on regional and special trade agreements, multilateral trade negotiations, dumping and countervailing duty issues, competition policy, legislation and macroeconomic policy as it affects international trade. This committee is generally aligned with US CBP’s leadership team.

Transpacific Committee

With primary focus on logistical issues impacting Transpacific Trade, this committee would also identify Transpacific trade issues which impact all members.