CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
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The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls posted an industry notice on its website on SHA-256 digital certificates April 25. DDTC is working to ensure DTrade is compliant with those certificates by the end of this year. More guidance on SHA-256 digital certificates will be provided by September. If a digital certificate requires renewal before Dec. 30, 2013, "ensure you are purchasing the SHA-1 digital certificate that is compatible with DTRADE2 from your ACES GSA authorized vendor," DDTC said.
The forced budget cuts of sequestration won't directly affect CBP's numerous pilot programs that are part of its "Trade Transformation" initiative, said Maria Luisa O’Connell, CBP's Senior Advisor for Trade, while speaking on a panel at an American Bar Association conference April 25. Many of the effects of sequestration, including the need for furloughs, remain unclear and the agency is waiting to hear from the White House for further guidance, she said. CBP expects to know more within the month, she said. Agency trade transformation pilots include its Document Image System, the Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), and Simplified Entry.
Trade associations spent relatively little on lobbying in the first quarter of 2013, according to public records. Groups like the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, the American Association of Exporters and Importers and the U.S. Association of Textiles and Apparels Importers spent less than $5,000 each. Customs reauthorization, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and potential trade agreements were some of the biggest issues trade groups lobbied on in Q1, the records show.
April 22 ICC World Trade Agenda Summit, Doha, Qatar (here)
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
April 15 Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza speaks at 21st Century Border Initiative event, 12:30 p.m., 729 15th St. NW, Washington (here)
The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) joined the chorus of customs groups asking for removal of AD/CVD section from the still-under-discussion House customs reauthorization bill, saying the section should be removed “so it does not slow down passage of this important legislation.”
CBP hopes to begin its pilot program for entry of residues in instruments of international traffic (IIT) by the end of the fiscal year, said officials at an April 9 webinar hosted by Integration Point. Through the test, CBP will roll out its new “residue entry” type, and allow carriers and importers an alternative to filing consumption entries for residue in containers, they said. Given the fees and brokerage costs associated with consumption entries, CBP expects high levels of participation, the officials said. The agency will not restrict participation in the pilot, nor even require formal registration, they said.