NORTH AMERICAN BROKERS UNITE TO ADDRESS CUSTOMS ISSUES

NORTH AMERICAN BROKERS UNITE TO ADDRESS CUSTOMS ISSUES    The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America announced during its annual conference a formal partnership with its Mexican and Canadian counterparts to cooperate on trade, security and environmental issues affecting brokers in all three countries.
   The Canadian Society of Customs Brokers and the Confederacion de Asociaciones de Agentes Aduanales de la Republica Mexicana (CAAAREM) will work with NCBFAA to address the 24-hour rule and how companies can take full advantage of the automated trade compliance systems in each country.
   Of particular importance, NCBFAA President Federico Zuniga told reporters, is the ability to share information on legislative and customs rulings so member companies can keep abreast of the changing regulatory landscape. U.S. brokers stand to benefit greatly from the ability to tap CAAAREM’s regulatory database because information on government rulings is not as readily available in Mexico as it is in the United States and Canada, Zuniga said.
   “Businesses are looking for more streamlined and harmonized procedures across borders and this is a perfect opportunity to work together and with our governments to make it happen,” Carol West, president of the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers, said in a statement.