Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks

Speakers:

• Darrell Sekin, NCBFAA President
• Jerry Becnel, NCBFAA GAC Co-Chair
• Mary Peglow, NCBFAA GAC Co-Chair 

Special Recognition and Remarks Honoring:
Retiring Director Bernard Kritzer
Office of Exporter Services, BIS

Panelists:

• Jason Kearns, Chief Trade Counsel, Democratic Staff, House Ways and Means Committee
• Everett Eissenstat, Republican Chief International Trade Counsel, Republican Staff, Senate Finance Committee

Moderator: Jon Kent, NCBFAA Legislative Counsel

Précis: The House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee and the Senate Finance Committee are the primary jurisdictions for matters of trade and customs legislation. On their plate presently are such issues as customs reauthorization, GSP renewal, Trade Promotion Authority, free trade agreements, and miscellaneous tariff provisions. Key staff people from both committees will tell you the prospects for this legislation, with an emphasis on its impact on NCBFAA members.

Speaker: Rebecca Dye, Commissioner, Federal Maritime Commission

Introduced by: Jan Fields, NCBFAA Transportation Chair   

Précis: On May 31, the Federal Maritime Commission issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that addressed license renewals, foreign NVOCCs, bonding, agents, and license revocation procedures. The rule would have broad implications for our industry. FMC Commissioner Rebecca Dye will provide her view of how these proposals will affect forwarders and NVOCCs.

Speaker: Ted Poplawski, FDA/OEIO/DIO

Introduced by: Roger Clarke, NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee Chairman 

Précis: The Food and Drug Administration assumed substantial new authority under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Its regulatory reach has created unprecedented interaction with customs brokers. NCBFAA's Regulatory Agencies Committee regularly communicates with FDA regulators, most recently on such issues as a centralized entry review pilot, filer evaluation, and automated processing. Captain Domenic Veneziano of FDA will provide his views on these and other critical issues.

Panelists:

• Jerry Becnel, NCBFAA GAC Co-Chair
• Mary Peglow, NCBFAA GAC Co-Chair
• Jon Kent, NCBFAA Legislative Counsel
• Ed Greenberg, NCBFAA Transportation Counsel

Moderator:

Précis: This session will discuss the do's and don'ts of going to your Congressman's office, preparing you to put the best foot forward on behalf of your company and your industry. Then, Transportation Counsel Ed Greenberg and Legislative Counsel Jon Kent will cover the issues that you will discuss during your visits, answering your questions and helping you articulate complex subjects in an understandable way.

Speaker: Thomas Winkowski, Acting Commissioner, Customs & Border Protection  

Special Recognition and Remarks Honoring:
Allen Gina, Retired, CBP Assistant Commissioner

Introduced by: Darrell Sekin, NCBFAA President

Panelists: 

• Neena Shenai, House Ways and Means Majority
• Dan Anthony, Coalition for GSP
• Kaitlin Sighinolfi, Legislative Assistant, Office of LA Representative Charles Boustany

Moderator: Jon Kent, NCBFAA Legislative Counsel

Précis: Much of this Congress’ legislative work has been in areas other than international trade. In that realm, those interested in trade at the detail-level want to see passage of a miscellaneous trade bill, reform of the Harbor maintenance fee, passage of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and passage of a responsible customs reauthorization bill. This panel includes experts in these areas and will outline the chances of Congress completing these tasks.

Speaker: John Drake, Director of Government Affairs, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Introduced by: Ed Greenberg, NCBFAA Transportation Counsel

Précis: This session will address, for the first time, this new legislation and the regulations that FMCSA will implement and what it means for customs brokers, OTIs as well as domestic property brokers. It will answer the question of whether your company needs to be licensed and bonded by FMCSA and explain the somewhat complex issue of what is exempt from the legislation and what is not.

• Omari Wooden, Senior Foreign Trade Advisor, U.S. Census, Foreign Trade Division (Invited)

Moderator: Geoff Powell, NCBFAA Vice President

Précis: Requirements of the revised Federal Trade Regulations become mandatory January 8, 2014. Are you ready? In this session Census will provide the timeline for AES reporting through ACE which will provide greater visibility by all government agencies. Post departure filing is being re-vamped with reduced deadlines. The ultimate consignee type will become a required field. Regulations on household goods and used self-propelled vehicles have been clarified. What else is new? Census will provide us with an overview allowing time for questions from our attendees.

3:45 to 5:00 p.m. 
Capitol

5:10 to 5:30 p.m.
Indoor Steps of the Hyatt Lobby

Group Picture of GAC Attendees 

• Heather Sykes, Customs & Border Protection (Invited)
• Darrell Sekin, NCBFAA President
• Alan Klestadt, NCBFAA Customs Counsel
• Ken Bargteil, NCBFAA Customs Committee, Chairman Emeritus
• Jeffrey C. Coppersmith, NCBFAA Chairman of the Board

Moderator: Mary Jo Muoio, NCBFAA Customs Committee Chairman

Précis: The NCBFAA and CBP have been actively engaged for the past several years in discussions under the catch-all name of “Role of the Broker”. It is so important for all members to understand the direction this work is taking, CBP objectives, and NCBFAA priorities. CBP has prepared a regulatory worksheet and is actively drafting changes and additions to the regulations for customs brokers. NCBFAA has presented CBP with a game-changing concept giving brokers a unique way to contribute to importers’ examination reduction and cargo expedition. This Broker-Known Importer Program puts brokers squarely in the role of facilitating legitimate trade for importers and CBP. This session will update you and engage you in these discussion so important to your profession.