Top Stories: Customs Modernization

Senators Introduce Customs Modernization Legislation

December 20, 2023 – Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a long-awaited Customs Modernization bill this week. It includes provisions for intellectual property violations, investigation of detained de minimis packages, and the government’s use of advanced trade data as an enforcement tool.

AAEI members worked with Sen. Cassidy’s staff for more than two years to add trade facilitation measures to the proposed bill. Members of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) also submitted trade facilitation recommendations to the Senate staff.
Read the bill’s text here. AAEI’s Customs Committee will discuss details in the bill at its next meeting, scheduled for on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. EST. AAEI meetings are for members only. Not yet a member? Click here for information on joining AAEI.

DHS Adds 3 Companies to UFLPA Entity List

December 20, 2023 – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it designated three more China-based companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. Effective Monday, December 11, goods produced by COFCO Sugar Holding Co. Ltd, Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group Co. Ltd., and Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd. will be restricted from entering the U.S. due to their participation in business practices that target persecuted groups in China. These additions bring the Entity List to include 30 China-based companies. For more details, and information on the added entities, read the DHS news release.

Report: Lawmakers Recommend Aggressive China Policy

December 20, 2023 – The House Select Committee on the CCP adopted a set of about 150 policy recommendations yesterday in a bipartisan report outlining a strategy to reset the U.S.’s economic relationship with China. Among its findings, the report states that granting China permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) did not lead to the benefits expected for the U.S., nor did it lead to Congress’s expected structural reforms in China. The lawmakers therefore include 12 recommendations for Congress to aggressively counter China’s economic and trade strategy. For more information, read the Select Committee’s full report.

AAEI’s Customs Committee will discuss the Congressional report at its next meeting, scheduled Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. EST. AAEI meetings are for members only. Not yet a member? Click here for information on joining AAEI.

COAC Holds Final Meeting for 16th Term

December 20, 2023 – The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) held a public meeting today, the group’s final meeting for the members of the 16th term. COAC provided U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with reports from its subcommittees. The reports included Export Modernization Recommendations (December 2023 Report), Export Modernization Truck Focus Group Background Information (December 2023 Report), In-Bond Recommendations (December 2023 Report), In Bond Background Information (December 2023 Report) and Rapid Response Subcommittee Recommendations (December 2023 Report). For more information on the meeting, please click here.

AAEI Participates in DHS Supply Chain Roundtable

December 20, 2023 – Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, held an industry roundtable meeting this week that included AAEI President and CEO Eugene Laney and AAEI member Todd Smith of KYG Trade. DHS is looking into data sharing and port infrastructure and currently examining security risks associated with foreign-made port equipment, such as cranes. Watch the introductory comments from Secretary Mayorkas and DHS Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Policy, and Plans Robert Silvers here.

AAEI Meets with Costa Rica Trade Minister

December 20, 2023 – AAEI’s Eugene Laney met with Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Tovar Rivera this week to discuss opportunities for trade promotion. More than 80-percent of Costa Rica’s foreign direct investment comes from the U.S., which leads to a boost in imports and exports. Costa Rica is interested in exploring trade alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. In recent months, AAEI has stablished partnerships and agreements with trade-related government officials and trade associations in South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia. AAEI’s Export and Global Trade Compliance Committee will discuss AAEI’s outreach efforts on trade promotion at its next meeting in early 2024. AAEI meetings are for members only. Not yet a member? Click here for information on joining AAEI.

AAEI Speaks at MGTA Legislative Update

December 20, 2023 – AAEI’s President and CEO Eugene Laney spoke at the Midwest Global Trade Association’s (MGTA’s) Legislative Update last week, where he joined industry experts for a review of 2023 trade developments and the outlook for 2024. Eugene’s presentation included updates on the current state of play of trade policy in Washington and globally. He also discussed strategies on how importers and exporters can prepare for 2024—including seeking organizations and industry partnerships to address business ills. For more information, see AAEI’s presentation slides.

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AAEI Joins Call to Extend Section 301 Tariff Exclusions

December 20, 2023 – Business groups urged the appropriations committees in Congress last Tuesday to support the funding for an additional 1,000 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in the bipartisan border security package included in President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 emergency supplemental request. The letter cites CBP’s recent workload staffing models that indicate the need for at least 4,000 more CBP officers. The stakeholders emphasize the need for more CBP personnel to reduce wait times for international travelers and cargo shippers, as well as to strengthen security against illegal drugs and goods. Read the letter here.