2012 - Page 8 of 10 - Customs & International Trade Law Firm

2012 CBP Symposium Announced!

CBP announced May 10, 2012 as the date for CBP’s Trade Symposium – “Transforming Trade for a Stronger Economy.” It will take place in Long Beach California, and registration starts March 20, 2012!

Here’s a sneak peak at the agenda:

Agenda

7:00 am – 8:30 am
7:00 am – 8:00 am
8:00 am – 8:10 am
8:10 am – 8:30 am
8:30 am – 9:45 am
9:45 am – 10:00 am
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
12:00 pm – 12:15 pm
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
1:45 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Registration
Continental Breakfast
Welcome
Opening Remarks
General Session
Break
General Session
Break
Luncheon
Break
General Session
Break
CBP Leadership Town Hall

Registration is $160 per person if you attend in person, and only $47 to participate by webcast.

By Jennifer Diaz|2012-03-20T12:00:00-04:00March 20, 2012|Symposium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

2012 International Boston Seafood Show

The annual International Boston Seafood Show is today and tomorrow at the Boston Convention Center. The Show attracts 19,000 visitors, and is the largest seafood show in North America. See www.bostonseafood.com. I am again lecturing on the Food Safety and Compliance Track with emphasis on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011: What every food importer and customs broker needs to know – now.

My topic is “Food Safety Compliance under the New Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.” My fellow panelists discussing the FSMA, and import safety generally, include Ted Poplawski from the FDA, Judith Webster from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Howard Tennen from Quirch Foods, Dean Leaman of ABC Research Laboratories, and Dan Fone of NSF International. Since 80% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, compliance with the food safety laws and regulations that have now been implemented by the FDA, in cooperation with CBP, is critical.

There were a record number of FDA Import Alerts for seafood in 2011, and a higher number of imported shipments of seafood are now the subject of Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE). What is surprising to many people is that the seafood is not just being stopped and inspected from China, but also Vietnam, Chile, and Canada, to name a few. Moreover, seafood fraud in many forms such as species substitution or false country of origin to avoid the payment of anti-dumping duties is now being discovered by the FDA, CBP, and NOAA. Criminal prosecutions and civil penalties by […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2015-12-01T06:52:54-05:00March 12, 2012|Food, FSMA|0 Comments

How I Helped Release $2.5 Million Stuck in Customs

Before beginning a career in international trade, I did not ever stop to think that the t-shirt I was wearing or dishes I was using were likely made elsewhere, and went through a long complicated logistics supply chain in order to reach my local store. Little did I know that when anything goes wrong in that complicated supply chain, it would be my job to help. Recently, a client had over 2.5 million dollars worth of electronic merchandise on hold by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) for alleged intellectual property rights violations. In plain English, Customs was under the impression my client was trying to import goods with trademarks or logos they did not have the authorization to import.

For this client, this was a lot of money at stake, and it could have put them out of business if we did not come up with a quick solution. Instead of thinking of the band aid type solution, to solely fix this issue, we came up with a compliance plan for the client to use going forward, that would also help solve the current issue.

The compliance plan involved both a short term and long term solution. In the short term, the goal was to have the 2.5 million dollars worth of merchandise released ASAP. To accomplish this goal, we had to prove to Customs that our client had the appropriate authorization from the relevant trademark holders. (Good time for you to check over your trademark licenses, are they all […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-08T16:34:26-04:00February 21, 2012|Detention, Intellectual Property Rights, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

A Conversation with DHS Secretary Tom Ridge

On January 26, 2012, I attended an exclusive, “off the record dinner for Florida business and community leaders to discuss the growing global national security and economic challenges our country faces today.” The guest speaker was none other than the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge. I was fascinated by what I heard from Secretary Ridge.

I had expected the first Assistant to the President for Homeland Security following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the first Secretary from 2003 to 2005 of the then new U.S. Department of Homeland Security to give the usual law enforcement speech about securing U.S. borders and ports, counter-terrorism, deporting illegal immigrants, etc. None of those ideas were discussed directly. Instead, the entire discussion initiated by Secretary Ridge was about promoting international trade as a way of ensuring economic security, and through our economic security, we maintain our leadership in the world. Even after I peppered him with questions, he did not waiver. Such a transformation was both surprising and impressive considering the current “5 Core Missions” of DHS.

The delightful dinner was sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. The USGLC is a broad-based, bipartisan coalition of more than 400 businesses, non-profits, faith-based, and community leaders led by Honorary Chair Colin Powell. I am a member of the USGLC’s Florida Advisory Committee.

The new wisdom from Secretary Ridge should be seriously considered by our political leaders. But, that’s just the view of one customs and international trade attorney.

By Jennifer Diaz|2015-12-01T06:50:23-05:00February 20, 2012|U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS)|0 Comments

U.S. Customs & Border Protection Seized My Goods – Oh No!

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) seizes merchandise EVERY day (and there is a LOT you can do to get your merchandise back!). Check out the latest 2011 stats on intellectual property rights enforcement and seizure statistics.

What some don’t know is the merchandise does NOT even have to be destined for the U.S. for CBP to seize it. Yes, it’s true. CBP detains and physically inspects cargo daily. CBP is supposed to issue timely detention notices and the detention notices are supposed to include the specific reason for the detention, anticipated length of the detention; nature of the tests or inquiries to be conducted; and nature of any information which, if supplied to U.S. Customs may accelerate the disposition of the detention. I wish I had a dollar for every importer that told me they never received one, or where the rationale for detention was blank, or said IPR (intellectual property rights)!

I am often retained by client’s just to get CBP on the phone to find out WHY the goods are detained. As with everything in life, it’s who you know, and who will pick up your phone call. Wish this process was different, but… typically, it isn’t.

Bottom line, if you hire someone to assist you with this process, ensure they know the internal procedures of CBP, as […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-08T15:45:13-04:00February 16, 2012|Detention, Intellectual Property Rights, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|1 Comment

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