Trends in Logistics

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigators continued to improve the agency’s ability to enforce product safety compliance at U.S. ports by stopping nearly three million units of consumer products that violated U.S. safety rules from reaching consumers in the 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2012. This was nearly three times the number of violative units stopped in the previous two quarters combined.

On November 14, 2012, the long-awaited U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) guidance (the “Guidance”) was released. Styled “A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” this 120-page document represents DOJ’s and the SEC’s effort to answer critics of the Act and to clarify their interpretation of key provisions of the Act and the principles guiding their enforcement efforts.

The purpose of this memorandum is to announce that the Office of International Trade will begin billing for the increase in merchandise processing fee (MPF), as established by the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 (TAA), retroactively effective on October 1, 2011.

The President recently signed Trade Legislation H.R. 2832. Among other things, it raised the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) on formal entries, type 01, from 0.21% to 0.3464%. The time frame for enactment is for 9 years, from October 2011 to June 2021.

CBP Will Implement a New Approach to 10+2 Enforcement U.S. Customs and Border Protection unveiled details for an updated approach it will take on ISF (Importer Security Filing) enforcement that will begin on January 26, 2010.  CBP terms this approach "Graduated Escalated" enforcement under the ISF filings.  CBP will review the program on a quarterly basis throughout 2010. 

Carrier members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA), FMC Agreement No. 011223, serving the East Asia/USA trade lane will increase several surcharges and terminal related charges effective April 1, 2011.