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Textile/Apparel Compliance Headaches Continue

Originaly Published in the June 2010 JOC Magazine -

Anyone who imports textile or wearing apparel products knows that achieving 100% regulatory compliance has been challenging for both Customs and the trade community. In a...

CBP Unilaterally Changes the Rules Again?

On June 8, 2010, Asst. Comm. Baldwin again confirmed that it is CBP’s long-standing policy to encourage prior disclosures. The reason these comments are notable is that a number of Ports have attempted to use the CBP Form 28...

CPSC Issuing Its Own Detention Notices

Effective June 14, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has begun issuing detention notices for possible violations of its laws and regulations, rather than leaving that function in U.S. Customs and Border...

False Patent Marking Becomes Costly

The Texas district court has ruled in Forest Group v Bon Tool Co., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41291 (S.D. Tex. Apr. 27, 2010) that if a party places a false patent marking on a product, the fine will be based on the maximum price at...

What Income?

It is no secret that the U.S. federal government is seriously upside down in terms of the current recession and resulting deficit. It is also well known that Customs is responsible for enforcing regulations that protect the...

Noncompliance Headaches Continue

It has long been understood that achieving 100% trade compliance with textile and wearing apparel imports has been challenging for both Customs and the trade community. In a recent presentation, Janet Labuda, the U.S. Customs and...

Will the Recession Result in More U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Spending?

H.R. 4844 has been introduced by Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., which if passed, would finally accomplish a long-awaited goal of those paying into the Harbor Maintenance Tax Fund. Specifically, the bill would require the money...

International Food Safety Standards Setting

In the June 4, 2010 Federal Register at

edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-13403.htm, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service published information about the next meeting of Codex, the WTO’s sanitary and phytosanitary...

Rewrite of U.S. Export Laws

It seems that each new administration says it is going to rewrite the U.S. export control laws. There is subdued excitement that may actually happen in this administration. To that end, the Export Control Practitioner’s...

Well, it makes sense, sort of ---

Originally published in the Journal of Commerce - April 2010 -

At a recent trade association luncheon, a senior Customs manager from the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach provided some statistics and background information about...

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Sentencing News

Much has been made in the general press about the 87-month sentence recently handed down to Charles Jumet in connection with bribes paid to former Panamanian government officials to secure contracts for his company, Ports...

Are You Responsible for Counterfeit Goods?

Did you realize you could have your identity stolen and still be liable for the importation or distribution of counterfeit goods? Trademark holders generally are getting much more aggressive against importers of counterfeit...

BIS Issues New Guidance Documents

In January 2010, BIS posted on its website updated guidance for freight forwarders, see www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/freightforwarderguidance.htm. More recently, BIS posted an updated version of its Export...

Customs Proposes Eliminating Paper Liquidation Notices

Importers and brokers are reminded that comments are due to Customs no later than May 15 in response to the agency’s March 16, 2010, Federal Register proposal to do away with providing courtesy notices of entry liquidation...

U.S. on the road to economic recovery?

At today’s World Trade Week kick-off breakfast in Los Angeles, Dr. Fred Bergsten, Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, made another strong pitch for why expansion of world trade will aid the U.S. in its...

U.S. Pushes Exports - Is It The Right Move?

The Obama Administration has now articulated the President's vision to expand exports significantly over the next five (5) years. To do so, Mr. Obama has established an Export Promotion Cabinet. He has also brought together...