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U.S. security turning border
into parking lot, envoy warns
15 November 2007, The Globe
& Mail
U.S. Customs
and Border Protection should review and reduce excessive security
measures at the Canada-U.S. line or risk turning it into a parking
lot, Ambassador Michael Wilson told the agency Wednesday.
Idling trucks
on both sides of the border aren't secure or profitable, he said,
and fees are being slapped several times on the same products as
parts travel back and forth during manufacturing.
If it's cheaper
per car to ship 4,000 from halfway around the world than to send
eight on a truck over the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor and
Detroit, then something's wrong, said Mr. Wilson.
more...
10+2 rule under OMB review
30 October 2007, CSCB
US Customs and
Border Protection's long-awaited proposed Advance Trade Data
Elements, known as the 10+2 rule, is at the White House Office of
Management and Budget for review.
Approval by OMB
is the final step before Customs can publish the proposal in the
Federal Register for public comment.
The OMB’s rule
summary says that importers and carriers will submit information
that is “reasonably necessary to enable high-risk shipments to be
identified so as to prevent smuggling and ensure cargo safety and
security.” |
Bush wants tougher rules for
dangerous imports
7 November 2007, CSCB
President Bush
on Tuesday recommended upgraded inspection rules in order to bar
dangerous product imports from entering the United States.
The proposals
were among 50 recommendations made by an advisory panel headed by
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, formed after a
series of recalls of tainted, foreign-made products.
"For many years
we have relied on a strategy based on identifying unsafe products
at the border," Bush said.
Importers may
be required to pay higher bonds to Customs and Border Protection
under the proposals.
New incentives
were recommended for importers that follow secure safety
practices. The board also called for increased training for
inspectors in foreign countries in order to intercept dangerous
imports at their borders
Secure Freight pilot analyzes
scan-all impact
U.S. Customs
and Border Protection is already gathering feedback on the
technical performance and commercial impact of its Secure Freight
Initiative in preparation for reporting results of the pilot
program to Congress in April, Richard DiNucci, the program's
director, said Friday.
more... |
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 Some
unusual seizures by U.S. Customs during the month of
November
More than
3,600 Pounds of Cheese Seized by Border Patrol at Texas
Checkpoint
CBP Import
Specialists Seize $870,000 Worth of Chinese-Made Wearing
Apparel
CBP in Norfolk,
Va. Intercepts Smuggled Socks Worth More than $1.5 Million
CBP at Port of
Los Angeles/Long Beach Seizes Counterfeit Footwear, Jackets
Worth More Than $2 Million
Stolen
Shopping Carts Intercepted by Miami CBP
Not So
Sweet - Almost $1/2 Million in Smuggled Currency
Discovered Amid Chocolate Bars at Nogales, Ariz. Entry
CBP
Indianapolis Intercepts Record Number of Counterfeit Checks;
Thwarts Consumer Scams
Read more on
the CBP website
http://www.cbp.gov/ |
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S
H I P P I N G / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N |
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Click here for a map
of all US ports
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Port of LA has successful implementation of direct shipshore
electric power connection
November 19, 2007
NYK Line and
the Port of Los Angeles have announced the first successful
implementation of a direct shoreside electric power connection to
a container vessel at berth.
more... |
Norfolk
Southern raises the roof on Heartland Corridor tunnels
11/15/2007
Norfolk
Southern has begun the first phase of a three-year engineering
project to increase intermodal freight capacity by raising
vertical clearances in 28 tunnels on its rail line between the
port of Hampton Roads, Virginia and Chicago – known as the
Heartland Corridor.
more... |
Export Penalties
Increase to $250,000 or More
Besides being
something you might scream while bungee jumping from a 1,000-foot
high bridge, IEEPA is the acronym for the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act. On October 16, 2007, the IEEPA Enhancement
Act increased the penalties for export violations under IEEPA to
$250,000 or twice the value of the export transaction, whichever
is greater. I can’t think of a better time than now to ensure that
your compliance side of the house is in order and up to date with
necessary resources.
Click to read article on IBT website
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HIGHLIGHTS
MISDECLARED CARGO
When the
Hyundai Fortune was almost destroyed by an explosion off the
coast of Yemen last year, a terrorist attack was immediately
suspected. But it soon became clear that cargo inside one of
the containers was probably to blame.
Although the
exact cause of the blast and subsequent fire that gutted the
Hyundai Merchant Marine vessel is not yet known, the accident
has focused far more attention on the growing problem of
wrongly declared or poorly packed cargo, and the risk this
presents for ships and their crew. Some shippers may label
freight incorrectly through ignorance, perhaps unaware of why
it is so important to ensure the manifest contains a detailed
and accurate description of goods to be transported. Others
may be trying to obtain a lower freight rate. But, whatever
the reasons, the result could be cargo stowed in the wrong
part of the ship, with catastrophic consequences.
Accurate
figures about how widespread these malpractices may be are
hard to come by, given the anonymous nature of container
shipping and the rare opportunities to look inside the box.
That is why the MSC Napoli accident has proved such a godsend
for investigators, who had what is probably a unique chance to
examine and weigh the contents of each container rescued from
the beached ship. The findings of that exercise have yet to be
published, although anecdotal evidence suggests that not many
discrepancies were found. Nevertheless, most industry experts
believe non-compliance with the International Maritime
Dangerous Goods Code is a fairly common problem. The
International Maritime Organization has suggested that as many
as 30% of all containers loaded with dangerous goods may have
misdeclared or badly packed cargo inside. Lloyd’s List,
10/18/2007. |
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NAFTA trade sets record
23 November 2007, CSCB
Trade between the
U.S. and its NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico hit a record value of
$866 billion in 2006. Total volume was approximately 475 million tons,
according to a report released Monday from the U.S. Department of
Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The 9.7 percent
surge in value over the previous year was faster than the average of
7.1 percent per year since BTS started gathering statistics in 2001.
Merchandise trade with The U.S., Canada and Mexico has risen more than
$252 billion or by 41.1 percent between 2001 and 2006. The total value
of U.S. freight shipments with Mexico grew 42.7 percent or 7.4 percent
annually. Goods shipped in trade with Canada grew 40.2 percent or 7.1
percent annually.
Trucks carried 62
percent of this freight measured by value -- $534 billion in 2006.
Rail carried 15 percent, followed by maritime with 8 percent.
USTR Schwab to
Attend Bali Meeting on Trade and Climate
11/30/2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
U. S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab will discuss trade-related
aspects of climate change in a meeting of trade ministers in Bali,
Indonesia, December 8-9.
The meeting of
trade ministers from over two dozen countries, hosted by Indonesian
Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, will be held in conjunction with the
Thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali December 3-14.
more...
USTR Schwab to
Announce New Climate Initiatives for WTO, Including a New
Environmental Goods and Services Agreement (EGSA)
11/30/2007
Washington, DC –
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced today that the
United States and EU have submitted a ground-breaking proposal as part
of the Doha Round negotiations to increase global trade in and use of
environmental goods and services. The initiative would place priority
action on technologies directly linked to addressing climate change
and energy security.
more...
Statement by
USTR Schwab on House Passage of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion
Agreement
11/08/2007
"Today's vote marks
an historic achievement for the U.S. and Peruvian people. The
U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is the foundation of an enduring
partnership with one of America’s key friends and allies in Latin
America. This free trade agreement (FTA) is the first to incorporate
the enhanced labor and environmental protections set out in the May 10
bipartisan agreement between the Administration and the House and
Senate Democratic and Republican leadership. American farmers,
ranchers, manufacturers, service providers, and their employees will
at last have preferential access to this growing market. Peru’s
people will be able to enjoy continued economic growth and greater
economic and political stability by cementing a trade relationship
with the largest market in the world,” said Ambassador Schwab. more...
China To End
Subsidies Challenged by the United States in WTO Dispute
11/29/2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab today announced that China
has agreed to terminate subsidies that the United States alleged were
illegal under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
more...
Eight countries sign Silk Road
agreements
Agreements have now been signed
between eight countries for Central Asia’s $19 billion Silk Road
project. (11/27/2007)
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have signed the agreement with China,
Mongolia, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.
The ten-year
project, which involves the construction of six road-rail corridors,
will provide a vital link between Russia and south Asia and the Middle
East.
Due to poor
transport infrastructure, the majority of Europe-Asia trade is
transported by sea, with less than 1% going via Central Asia. The Silk
Road project will not only provide a land bridge that will enable
significantly reduced transport costs, but it also calls for improved
border crossing procedures, which are currently slow and cumbersome
processes.
Construction on the
project is expected to begin in 2008, with completion set for 2018.
Quality Control for Chinese Imports
In addition to the
routine export declarations which are required for all goods from
China, some commodities also require a certificate from the Quality
Control and Quarantine Office (QCQ). Although this has been a
requirement for some time, the process is becoming more rigid by the
QCQ as a reaction to product safety concerns.
more...
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MWTA Ethnic
Social January 24, 2008
Join your
fellow MWTA members for the group’s first event of 2008, a
celebration of Turkish food and culture! Tulip Restaurant, located
in the historic Third Ward neighborhood, will host the event; with
authentic hor d’voures of Chicken Shish Kebab, Grape Leaves,
Mitite Kofte, Lamb Shish Kebab and Salmon - to name a few.
Korkut
Colakoglu, the owner of Tulip, and his chef Hakkan, will speak for
a short time on the Turkish and Mediterranean influence, origins
of spice they use, and how food is integrated within the Turkish
culture.
Cost for the
event is $25.00 per person. It will be a cash bar, with plenty of
wine and other items to choose from. There is ample free parking.
RESERVATIONS DUE BY January 12, 2008
DOWNLOAD RESERVATION FORM
January 24, 2008
4:30-7:00PM
Tulip
Restaurant, 117 N. Jefferson St.,
Milwaukee, WI
Asian Holidays
DECEMBER 05, 2007 -- H.M. THE KING'S BIRTHDAY
DECEMBER 08,10, 2007 -- CONSTITUTION DAY
DECEMBER 31, 2007 -- NEW YEAR'S EVE |
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