AAEI Responds to New CBP Rule on Use of FTZs
AAEI is calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to reevaluate its decision, announced last week in a Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) message, prohibiting importers from using Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) to store detained shipments under investigation for forced labor. CBP says the new rule to limit the use of FTZs is “due to issues and concerns with their use.” AAEI’s letter to CBP says, “The practice of moving detained goods to FTZ’s is not an unusual practice. CBP allows the movement of goods to FTZs for other corrective actions, such as relabeling or marking of goods to bring them into compliance with U.S. regulations.” Read AAEI’s letter to CBP.
President Signs Bill Taiwan Trade Bill, Wary of Conditions
President Biden signed United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act this week, but said certain negotiating conditions in the bill are “non-binding.” The legislation includes four provisions on future trade negotiations with Taiwan that would ensure Congress is in control of the process. President Biden said in a signing statement that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) “will treat them as non-binding.” Read the President’s statement on H.R. 4004.
BIS Announces Dates for 2023 Annual Conference
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the dates this week of the BIS Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy 2023. The event wil be held November 28-30, 2023 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC. Conference details, agenda and registration link are forthcoming, however, there will be no virtual attendance option. “This 36th annual conference will be offered in in-person only, for two and a half days, with an evening reception,” according to the BIS announcement. Read the BIS save the date notice.
Import Data Points to Supply Chain Shifts
As U.S. companies mitigate the risks in their supply chains, the shifts in sourcing are reflected in the latest trade data involving China. The U.S. Census Bureau published its most recent figures on Trade in Goods with China. They show a 25-percent drop in imports from China for the first 6-months of the year. U.S. trade restrictions on China include the rebuttable presumption that products or materials sourced from Xianjing are made with forced labor. In November, the U.S. placed export restrictions on microchips to China. See the Census Bureau’s latest numbers on U.S. trade in goods with China.
AAEI Signs Agreement with Counterpart in South Korea
AAEI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its counterpart in South Korea, the Korean Importers Association (KOIMA). The objective is to enhance trade relations, facilitate knowledge exchange, and encourage mutual business opportunities between the members of both organizations in the Republic of Korea and the United States. AAEI members will learn more about the role of this agreement as a member benefit at AAEI’s upcoming Export and Global Trade Compliance Committee meeting on August 24th. Is your company an AAEI member yet? Find out how to join.
