Thursday, July 29, 2010

Trade News Update


FTA Tug-of-War

Introduced in April 2009, H.R. 1875 establishes an Emergency Commission to End the Trade Deficit. Concern about the impact of the growing trade deficit, the commission will examine establishment, administration and the impact of trade policies. The commission is charged with developing a trade policy to eliminate the U.S. merchandise trade deficit by January 1, 2019 and developing a competitive trade policy for the 21st century. The Commission must submit the plan no later than 16 months after the enactment of the Act. As part of this Act, The President is prohibited from submitting any free trade agreement or legislation implementing a free trade agreement to Congress until the Commission’s report has been delivered to Congress and the President. The House passed this bill on July 28, 2010.

On July 27, 2010, H.R. 1562 was introduced and requests the immediate implementation of the U.S. Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement, U.S. Panama FTA and the U.S. Korea FTA.

So, will the pending FTAs be implemented before HR 1875 puts them on hold?


Watch CBP on COPS - July 31st

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be featured on the Fox network television show COPS at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 31.

Saturday’s episode, Protecting Borders and Stopping Crime show officers from San Ysidro Customs and Border Protection in California engaging in a sting operation to catch undocumented aliens coming into the U.S. Later, the officers halt a suspicious vehicle crossing the border, which eventually leads them to a major drug bust.



TSA: Certified Cargo Screening Program

Tick Tock! On August 1, 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) will require that 100% of all cargo shipped on passenger aircraft to be scanned before it can fly.

In 2007, Congress passed the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act more commonly known as the 9/11 Act. The new law mandated that all cargo transported on a passenger aircraft be screened for explosives by August 1, 2010.

All cargo requires screening at the piece level. Skids and pallets must also be screened. To reduce the anticipated delays and costs at airline facilities, the TSA allows for screening at approved Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSFs). You might be thinking that your cargo won’t be affected because it is shipped by an express carrier such as FedEx, UPS or DHL. While the majority of the cargo these companies handle may be shipped on cargo planes, they also use passenger aircraft. You should expect delays. Think about the lines and inspection process when you go through security at the airport and then picture the screening of every individual package. Check with your broker/freight forwarder for more information about your options for screening.

Click HERE to learn more about CCSP.

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