CBP expands outreach efforts

CBP expands outreach efforts    U.S. Customs and Border Protection will hold its annual Trade Symposium Dec. 8-10 at the Washington Convention Center, Kimberly Marsho, who heads the Office of Trade Relations, announced Monday.
   The popular event is attended by representatives from the import-export industry interested in hearing CBP officials address how they deal with a wide range of trade issues.
   Registration is expected to open within a few weeks, Marsho told members of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America who were in Washington for their annual government affairs conference. She said industry representatives are being solicited to help develop the event's agenda.
   The new location has larger rooms for breakout sessions than last year's site at the J.W. Marriott and will allow the agency to increase attendance by 10 percent to about 800 persons, Marsho added afterwards.
   CBP also plans to add new techniques to improve its outreach to the trade community.
   The agency for the first time will videotape one of its Importer Security Filing seminars held around the nation and post it afterwards on its Web site to help spread the word about how to comply with the new advance trade data requirements, Marsho said. The taping will take place at the Washington, D.C. seminar scheduled for Sept. 29.
   The Office of Trade Relations also recently acquired the capability to conduct webinars on its own using the agency's subject matter experts, she said. CBP officials have approved the purchase of new software to produce the online educational sessions. Marsho said she is accepting ideas for webinar topics. ' Eric Kulisch