Senators Release Draft Legislation to Modernize Trade Facilitation
August 7, 2024 – Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) released a discussion draft of their Customs Facilitation Act of 2024 last week. The bill aims to modernize U.S. customs laws and streamline trade systems. Among other changes, the legislation would create a One U.S. Government at the border to reduce redundant data entries.
AAEI’s Eugene Laney says, however, that this section of the draft does not have “any meat to the bones” and that he would like the bill to establish a “responsible parent” for the Border Interagency Executive Council (BIEC), either from the White House, or the Office of Management and Budget, or even DHS.
For more details, read the discussion draft.
The senators are asking for feedback from the trade community on the draft language. AAEI’s Customs Committee will meet to discuss the draft at its next meeting later this month.
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New Bill Aims to Tighten De Minimis Rules
August 7, 2024 – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) shared the draft text of a bill last week that would exclude goods subject to Section 301 tariffs from de minimis entry, along with any categories deemed “import sensitive” in the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program legislation. This bill, the Fighting for America Act of 2024, would mandate detailed documentation for low-value imports and imposes penalties for non-compliance. The legislation is intended to target “illicit drugs and other unauthorized products.” Read the draft text.
CBP Announces “Detect and Defeat” Implementation Proposals
August 7, 2024 – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a list of proposals to implement President Biden’s “Detect and Defeat” legislation aimed at stopping fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the U.S. through de minimis shipments. The proposals include a 10-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) requirement, a $2 processing fee, and shortened abandonment period of 15 days. The agency says that the provisions still need to be debated and voted on by Congress. For more details on the “Detect and Defeat” proposals, read last week’s White House news briefing and the Department of Homeland Security’s fact sheet.
APEP Adopts New Trade Declaration to Streamline Pre-Arrival Processing
August 7, 2024 – Delegates from countries participating in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) met in Bogotá last week to discuss the importance of existing agreements between participating nations. As part of the meeting, the participants adopted a Declaration on Good Practices for Pre-Arrival Processing, which lays out how to implement the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade facilitation agreement declaration more effectively. Read the declaration and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s news release.
WCO Survey Reveals Top Technologies for Customs
August 7, 2024 – The World Customs Organization (WCO) Smart Customs Project released results of its April 2024 global survey on disruptive technologies last week. The survey had a 62% participation rate from WCO Members and identified key technologies and their applications that Customs administrations may adopt soon. The technologies include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Cloud computing. AAEI is a member of the WCO’s Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) and contributed feedback on the results of this report. For more information, read the report.
