CBP collects over $34.8b in duties in FY2017

U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed $2.39 trillion in imports during the year, with the number of imported cargo containers at U.S. ports of entry totaling over 28.5 million, a 5 percent increase from the prior year, largely due to e-commerce.    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collected approximately $40.1 billion in duties, taxes and other fees in fiscal 2017, including over $34.8 billion in duties, the agency announced Tuesday.
   Imported cargo containers at U.S. ports of entry increased 5 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2017 to over 28.5 million, with CBP processing 33.2 million entries and $2.39 trillion in imports during the year.
   Further, after the fiscal 2017 launch of the e-allegation web portal for submission of Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) allegations – including evidence related to forced labor, duty evasion and intellectual property rights (IPR) violations – CBP has initiated 14 EAPA investigations.
   CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seizures of IPR-violating shipments rose 8 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2017 to 34,143.
   Additionally, the two agencies seized 21 shipments valued at $48.7 million for antidumping and countervailing duty violations.
   CBP also mentioned it established the E-Commerce and Small Business Branch in its Office of Trade in FY2017, and that e-commerce is “largely responsible” for an increase in small shipments entering the U.S.
   “The branch is developing strategic goals and objectives to position CBP to better address the challenges in the e-commerce environment now and into the future,” the agency said.