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February 21, 2012 New C-TPAT Mechanical Seal Standard Implementation Delayed As previously reported, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) mechanical seal standards for Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) participants were scheduled to become effective on March 1, 2012. In an update to the original announcement DHS has advised that, "Since the issuance of the previous notice, C-TPAT has learned that the tamper evidence element of the ISO 17712:2010 requirements (Clause 6) cannot be met. To date, no accredited independent laboratories have been willing to test and certify seals as complying with the tamper evidence requirement. Consequently, C-TPAT has determined that implementation of the new standard is not viable by the March 01, 2012 deadline." Mandatory implementation of the new ISO standard for mechanical seals will be delayed until definitive information is received that ISO has resolved the tamper evidence issue. C-TPAT partners will be advised of the effective date of the new requirements at that time. Mexico Customs Going Paperless On March 1, 2012 Mexico is scheduled to implement its Unique Window, "Ventanilla Unica" (VU), a tool which will allow importers and exporters to electronically submit both commercial documents and declarations to Mexican Customs. Importers and exporters will have two options for transmitting the commercial invoice: In both cases an Advanced Electronic Signature, containing secure elements which identify the owner of the transmission, will be sent to the importer or exporter and to the customs broker for inclusion on the customs declaration. In addition, other documents such as certificates of origin, permits, NOM Certificates, letters, and any other form that was previously attached to the customs declaration, can also be scanned and uploaded via the VU portal. In essence VU is intended to act as a single point of contact for the exchange of documents and information by importers, exporters, customs brokers and various Mexican government authorities. The VU is expected to reduce paper use, reduce administration and customs inspection times, provide information visibility earlier in the process, simplify the search and access of information from remote locations, and eliminate courier expenses. For further information please visit official VU site:
Next Customs Broker Exam is Monday, April 2, 2012 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs, CBP) has posted a notice to its website announcing the April 2012 Customs Broker License Examination. Customs stated that the exam will be held on Monday, April 2, 2012 at various locations throughout the United States. Applications to take the exam are due on or before Monday, March 5, 2012. An "Application for Customs Broker License Exam" (CBP 3124E) and an exam application fee of $200 must be received and accepted by Customs at the port in which the applicant intends to conduct business by the application deadline. A copy of the form can be secured at local Customs ports. Customs has also made the CBP 3124E available on-line via a link located on the exam notice page. The Customs Broker Examination will last four hours and will consist of 80 multiple-choice questions, Customs stated. A computed score of 75 percent is required to pass. According to the notice, "Exam topics may include: Entry, Classification, Country of Origin, Trade Agreements, Value, Antidumping/Countervailing Duty, Broker Responsibilities, FP&F, Protests, Marking, Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise, Drawback, Intellectual Property Rights, and other subjects pertinent to a broker's duties." Customs stated that the April 2012 examination was written using the following references: Applicants must provide their own reference materials and, per Customs, "The use of any other versions of the listed references other than those recommended is at the applicant's own risk." Customs also advised "Examinee may use any written reference material; however, use of any electronic device during the exam (i.e., laptops, ipads, personal digital assistants (PDA’s), etc) is prohibited." If an applicant achieves a passing score and wishes to apply to become a licensed Customs broker, a separate license application fee of $200 and an "Application for Customs Broker License" (CBP 3124) will be required. Applicants must be 21 years of age and a United States citizen at the time of the filing of the license application. The exam notice and other Broker Exam information is located on Customs' web site at:
________________________________________ Tons News is compiled from a number of public sources that, to the best of Tons knowledge, are true and correct. It is our intent to present only accurate information. However, in the event any information contained herein is erroneous, Tons accepts no liability or responsibility.
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