PNCT Main Terminal will be open on Friday, July 3rd 6AM to 4PM
https://www.pnct.net/MessageUpdates.aspx#5
Terminal Operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Adjust PierPass TMF on August 1
PierPass/ www.pierpass.org
LONG BEACH, Calif., June 30, 2015 – The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) today announced an increase in the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2015. The increase will sustain continued operation of PierPass OffPeak gates amid labor cost increases.
Beginning August 1, the TMF will be increased from $66.50 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) to $69.17 per TEU or $138.34 per forty-foot container.
WCMTOA periodically adjusts the TMF based on changes in maritime labor costs. The announced change reflects increases in labor costs contained in the contract recently agreed to between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The TMF was last adjusted in August 2013.
The Traffic Mitigation Fee helps pay for the night and Saturday marine terminal shifts created by the PierPass OffPeak program to relieve daytime congestion in and around the ports. It also provides a financial incentive to move cargo during less-congested times. The TMF is charged for non-exempt containers moving during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
About PierPass
PierPass is a not-for-profit company created by marine terminal operators at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach to address multi-terminal issues such as congestion, air quality and security. The West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) is filed with the Federal Maritime Commission, and comprises the 13 international MTOs serving the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. For more information, please see www.pierpass.org.
US, UK Partnership Takes Aim at Illegal Vehicle Trade
US Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2015-06-29-000000/us-uk-partnership-takes-aim-illegal-vehicle-trade
New Agreement Sets Stage for Further Expansion
LONDON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expanded its partnership with counterparts in the United Kingdom today in order to combat illegal vehicle trafficking.
At an event at the U.S. Embassy in London, CBP and the United Kingdom National Police Chief’s Council, National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) and the United Kingdom Border Force signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to share law enforcement information in order to intercept illegal vehicles imports.
“Import safety is a global challenge that requires strong international partnerships,” said Brenda Smith, assistant commissioner for CBP’s Office of International Trade. “With this agreement, CBP and our partners in the United Kingdom set the stage to expand joint trade enforcement efforts into Europe."
CBP’s Cynthia Whittenburg, executive director for Trade Policy and Programs signed the LOI on behalf of the delegation from CBP. The agreement marks the beginning of several days of working sessions toward expanding Operation Atlantic, the joint trade enforcement operation that targets illegal vehicle imports, onto the European continent.
“Operation Atlantic has clearly demonstrated the significance and benefits of multi-lateral information exchanges in the enforcement of the laws of both our countries,” said Gordon Roberts, Detective Chief Inspector with NaVCIS. “Today, we reaffirm our commitment to our U.S. partners to thwart illegal vehicle trade, together!”
At the signing of the agreement, Sam Bullimore, the Deputy Director of the United Kingdom Border Force Intelligence Directorate noted, “The Border Force National Intelligence Directorate is very pleased to continue its co-operation and close working relationship with CBP and NaVCIS through the signing of a new Operation Atlantic LOI. Addressing cross border crime is a priority for Border Force and our capability has been increased through our collaboration with CBP and NaVCIS in Operation Atlantic.”
Launched in March 2014, Operation Atlantic is a joint U.S. and U.K. trade enforcement initiative to seize illegal vehicle imports.
In the U.S., Operation Atlantic involves the teamwork of personnel at CBP’s Commercial Analysis and Targeting Center (CTAC) and CBP officers and import specialists at ports of entry. Armed with information from its counterparts in the U.K., CBP personnel can more effectively target illegal vehicle imports.
Over the past year, inspections of imported vehicles, specifically Austin Minis and Land Rover Defenders, have dramatically increased with more than 500 vehicles examined. Much of the activity was spurred as a result of Operation Atlantic.
This week will also see the beginning of increased efforts with other European counterparts to focus trade enforcement efforts on unsafe and illegal vehicle trafficking. Through leveraging CBP’s Container Security Initiative program, customs and law enforcement entities on the European continent will work together with CBP officers stationed in country to intercept suspect vehicles and to exchange enforcement information.
CBP Officers in Tampa Seize Counterfeit Toys from China
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-06-26-000000/cbp-officers-tampa-seize-counterfeit-legos-china
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Tampa seized a shipment of counterfeit toys with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of more than $9,000. The counterfeit toys arrived in a shipment from China on June 18.
CBP officers selected the shipment for inspection and immediately noticed that the merchandise was substantially indistinguishable from the federally registered LEGO copyrighted design. The officers provided samples to CBP import specialists who recommended seizing the counterfeit sets valued at more than $9,000. 
“Counterfeiting and piracy costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars every year and is responsible for the loss of thousands of American jobs," said Tampa Port Director Paula Rivera. "One of the greatest threats of counterfeit toys is the lack of health and safety standards. Our CBP officers and import specialists are committed to preventing these toys from making it into to your children’s hands."
In Fiscal Year 2014, CBP made more than 23,000 seizures of counterfeit goods worth an estimated $1.2 billion. Toys are among CBP’s top 10 Intellectual Property Rights seizures (IPR). For additional information, statistics and a list of the most popular counterfeit items and their worth, view the IPR 2014 report.
USITC Releases Shifts in U.S. Merchandise Trade 2014
U.S. International Trade Commission / http://usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2015/er0630ll464.htm
Shifts in U.S. Merchandise Trade 2014 (2014 Trade Shifts) is now available on the U.S. International Trade Commission Internet site.
The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan federal agency, continues to transform Trade Shifts, its annual comprehensive review of U.S. trade performance. The 2014 edition adds new interactive features, including graphics and supplementaldata analysis tools that allow users to view and refine, as they choose, the official government data presented.
“The interactive features included in this year’s Trade Shifts release let users choose the individual data options they want to see to generate insights that build upon the Commission’s analysis, ” said USITC Chairman Meredith M. Broadbent. “The Commission committed in its strategic plan to adopt approaches to make its analysis, information, and expertise more easily available and functional, and Trade Shifts 2014 is a step in that direction.”
The 2014 Trade Shifts focuses on changes in U.S. exports and imports of agricultural and manufacturing industries and key natural resources, as well as changes in U.S. trade with China, Japan, the European Union, and sub-Saharan Africa. Also included are industry and market profiles for 10 sectors that include trade data for 2010-2014.
The 2014 release also includes a special topic discussion that defines common U.S. trade metrics and examines ways that changes in U.S. trade flows have affected certain trade measures. These changes range from wide-ranging reductions in U.S. tariffs to the growing importance of re-exports and the evolution of U.S. foreign-trade zones.
Highlights from the report include:
- The value of U.S. total exports grew by $43.9 billion (2.8 percent), in part because of the depreciation of the U.S. dollar during the first half of 2014 as well as the 7 percent expansion of the Chinese economy, the United States' third-largest export market. Three sectors accounted for just over half the overall value of U.S. total exports in 2014: transportation equipment, electronics, and chemicals.
- Re-exports’ share of U.S. total exports has been growing annually as firms increasingly use the United States as a distribution hub, particularly for merchandise destined to NAFTA countries. In 2014, re-exports were valued at $221.2 billion (14 percent of U.S. total exports). The top three sectors were: footwear (43 percent); electronics (37 percent); and textiles and apparel (19 percent). Within each of these sectors, re-exports were concentrated within individual industry segments (e.g., telecommunications equipment in the electronics sector).
- The value of U.S. general imports rose by $76.9 billion (3.4 percent), driven by the stronger U.S. economy and the corresponding upturn in personal spending and business investment. Three sectors accounted for just over half the overall value of U.S. general imports in 2014: electronics, transportation equipment, and energy.
- U.S. trade flows with the four key trading partners/regions profiled in 2014 Trade Shifts accounted for about 30 percent of U.S. total exports and almost half of U.S. general imports. U.S. trade balances with these partners/regions fluctuated in 2014. U.S. trade deficits with China and the EU continued to increase, while those with Japan and sub-Saharan Africa declined. Energy products and transportation equipment contributed to these changes, accounting for the largest shifts in value in both U.S. total exports and U.S. general imports.
Holiday Travel Advisory: Canada Day & Fourth of July
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-06-29-000000/holiday-travel-advisory-canada-day-fourth-july
BLAINE, Wash. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations, is reminding travelers planning trips across the border this holiday weekend into the United States to make sure they have their proper documents and to plan ahead. Border traffic volumes are expected to peak during this period.
CBP strongly encourages travelers to plan your trip in advance and obtain a radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled travel document such as an Enhanced Driver’s License/Enhanced Identification Card, U.S. passport card or Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST/EXPRES) to expedite entry and make future border crossings more efficient.
For travelers with RFID-enabled cards, Ready Lanes are open:
- Peace Arch: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Lynden: 12 p.m. (noon) to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Sumas: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
To avoid delays, border crossers may want to use the nearby and less traveled Sumas Port of Entry on State Highway 9 (open seven days per week, 24 hours per day) or the Lynden Port of Entry on State Highway 539 (open from 8 a.m. until midnight).
CBP is urging all foreign travelers requiring I-94 or I-94W (visa waiver) entry document processing to obtain the essential document early instead of waiting until the day of their travel to avoid potential delays at the border. Travelers are encouraged to obtain the required document as much as a week in advance for faster and more convenient processing. All travelers requesting an I-94 or I-94W entry document may be required to establish financial solvency, proof of residency outside the U.S. and demonstrate that they have sufficiently strong ties to their country of origin including a home abroad they do not intend to abandon.
All travelers are reminded of a six simple steps they can employ to cross the border more efficiently:
1. Check out the new CBP informational website.
The CBP site has been completely redesigned to help users quickly access the content they need. It also is optimized for access by smart phones and makes use of a new content delivery network that will improve access internationally.
2. Beat the border rush.
Cross during off-peak times, such as between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Most lines at the border start building in the morning and carry on through the afternoon. Monitor wait times on the internet or via a mobile app named, “CBP Border Wait Times.” Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light use/short waits. CBP officials continually monitor border crossing times at area ports of entry and plan to fully staff all inspection lanes during peak periods to maintain the flow of traffic.
3. Keep travel documents handy.
Make sure each passenger has the correct travel document accessible and ready to give to the CBP officer. If you are a frequent international traveler and have not already become a member of a trusted traveler program, sign up now. For more information, please visit CBP’s Trusted Traveler site.
4. Know the contents of your vehicles and be prepared to declare all items.
Travelers are required to declare all items being imported into the United States from Canada. If you are not sure about what to declare, do not hesitate to ask the CBP officer.
5. Declare all firearms.
Travelers are reminded that specific requirements must be met to import or export firearms and ammunition to/from the United States. For more information on the importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition visit ATF, State Dept., and Commerce Dept. websites or contact CBP at (406) 453-7631.
6. Know what food products can be imported.
Many fruits, meats, dairy and poultry products are prohibited from being imported into the United States from Canada. For more information, view prohibited and restricted items and foods permitted into U.S. for personal use.
Our dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals and contraband.
Service Joins International Action Against Wildlife Traffickers
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / http://www.fws.gov/
A 10-day international crackdown on wildlife trafficking recently netted about 30 seizures of illegal goods at U.S. airports and mail facilities. Operation FLYAWAY was led by the World Customs Organization with the help of the Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Items seized during the operation included queen conch shell meat, sea turtle shells and skulls, elephant meat, tiger teeth and ivory pendants. Many of the confiscated goods are regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and some items are prohibited under the Endangered Species Act.
News Release