Census export compliance road show gets new life

Census export compliance road show gets new life The U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division and the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America are partnering to revive the agency’s traveling workshop on export compliance.
   The program has been suspended for more than a year for budget reasons, Jerry Greenwell, chief of the regulations, outreach and education branch, told a group of freight forwarders on Friday.
   The Foreign Trade Division (FTD) “road shows” have been popular with exporters for years because the agency comes to local communities to help shippers and freight forwarders understand how to properly file export declarations online through the Automated Export System and classify products according to the global product numbering system to avoid shipments from being held up by Customs officials.
   The NCBFAA is making a concerted effort to deliver more benefits to its members and agreed to help sponsor the seminar program through local affiliates to help educate forwarders around the country.
   The FTD will team up with local and regional organizations, such as the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, to conduct workshops.
   The local association will select the site, handle registration and cover the FTD’s expenses. Census will help market the event and provide materials.
   Census will conduct a minimum of 12 events per year, Greenwell announced at the Western Cargo Conference in Denver held by the Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Associations. The workshops will begin next year, he explained afterwards.
   More information about the program and the projected cities that will be on the tour will be posted in the next couple of months on the agency’s Web site and broadcast through AES to export professionals, he said.
   Budget constraints have limited the FTD to do workshops that are sponsored by groups or companies. In July, the agency held a workshop at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C., that was sponsored by the college and SunTrust Bank.