New Year, New Proposed Rules for Comment!

There is a lot of change going on in the world of trade, and it can often feel as though it is hard to know what is coming at you.  Here at NAFTZ, we are gearing up to prepare for anticipated announcements, proclamations, and new rules for U.S. importing and exporting and that includes keeping you informed about Notices of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) and your opportunity to add your voice to the process.  Let’s take a look at some current examples:

Proposed Changes to Census Reporting for Exports out of U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones:

NAFTZ’s Operations Advocacy Working Group reviewed a proposed rulemaking by the Census Bureau published on October 31, 2024, and solicited comments for the December 30, 2024, deadline. In the announcement found here, the  Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) proposes to amend its regulations to revise the specific requirements for data elements when filing the Electronic Export Information (EEI) when exporting from an FTZ.

Thank you to the working group Chairs, Amy Crosse of Carters and Jason Poyser of FTZ Consultants for their work in coordinating with our Automation Committee to draft comments to submit on behalf of the NAFTZ membership.  You can find the NAFTZ comment submission here.  And, thanks to those comments, Census has already reached out to schedule further discussions about how better to achieve their stated goal of determining country of origin of goods exported from a U.S. FTZ.

Proposed Changes to de minimis:

During the month of January, CBP has issued two separate NPRMs addressing the data collection for goods entered under the de minimis rule and making certain products ineligible for the de minimis duty exemption for certain low-value shipments entering the U.S.  Those NPRMs can be found here and here.

NAFTZ Distribution Advocacy Work Group, chaired by Dallas Hobgood of Kontoor Brands, is preparing comments for both notices.  To be considered for inclusion, please provide your comments to Dallas no later than February 15, 2025. Please email: dallas.hobgood@kontoorbrands.com 

These proposed rules and more will be topics of discussion at our Legislative Summit in Washington, DC on February 25 and during our Hill Advocacy Meetings on Feb 26.  There is still time to register to join us next month.  It is more important than ever to let your impact be felt in Washington!