7:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Capitol

• Leah Ellis, JAS Forwarding USA Inc. - NCBFAA PAC Chair

Presenters:

• Geoffrey C. Powell, C. H. Powell Co. - NCBFAA President
• Jerry Becnel, J. W. Allen & Co., Inc. - NCBFAA GAC Chair
• Leah Ellis, JAS Forwarding USA Inc. - NCBFAA PAC Chair

Précis: 2016 has been a bad political year for trade -- but advocates for expanded trade must be undeterred. Everett Eissenstat is the top Senate staff person in trade and will outline future possibilities for free trade agreements, trade logistics legislation and oversight of CBP. This is a mandatory primer for your visits on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Speaker: Everett Eissenstat, Chief Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee

Introduced by: Jon Kent, Kent & O'Connor, Inc. - NCBFAA Legislative Representative

Précis: With passage of the Customs Reauthorization bill early in 2016, brokers have witnessed the balance between facilitation and enforcement tipped in the direction of new regulatory requirements, The bill will spawn regulations that will require brokers to gather identifying information from their importers, to meet as-yet-to-be-determined PGA requirements for higher de minimis shipments, and comply with long-awaited broker rules. The panel will discuss those changes.

Panel:

• Alan Klestadt, Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP - NCBFAA Customs Counsel
• Dan Meylor, Carmichael International Service - NCBFAA Customs Committee Vice Chair
• Jerry Malmo, Director, CBP Commercial Fraud Division

Moderator:

• Mary Jo Muoio, OHL dba Barthco - NCBFAA Customs Committee Chair

Précis: The past 12 months have witnessed strong engagement between the Federal Maritime Commission and Industry. A notable example has been FMC's behind-the-scenes role in bringing SOLAS to a more satisfactory conclusion on July 1. Additionally, the agency has published OTI regulations, which were modified during the comment process to meet the concerns of industry.  Chairman Mario Cordero will provide the conference a look-back at the FMC's accomplishments, and a glance at the future.

Speaker:  Mario Cordero, Federal Maritime Commission Chair

Introduced by: Jan Fields, John S. James Company - NCBFAA Transportation Committee Chair

Report from the Executive Assistant Commissioner

Précis: Executive Assistant Commissioner Brenda Smith is expected to draw on her recent experience with the industry's move to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) to summarize activity to date, as well as provide her perspective on the ultimate outcome of the system rollout. Following her address, she may be able to entertain a few questions from the audience.

Speaker: Brenda Smith, CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner

Introduced by:

• Geoffrey C. Powell, C. H. Powell Co. - NCBFAA President

Special Recognition and Remarks Honoring:

• Captain Domenic Veneziano, Retired,
  FDA, Director, Division of Import Operations

Précis: Are you a tenderfoot or a long-time pro at persuading your Congressman or Senator on what is good for your industry? It doesn't matter.  This session will help you with last minute adjustments in your approach, answer questions about the issues that you'll discuss, or just make you more comfortable that you've dotted all the "i"s for your meeting. 

Presenters:

• Jon Kent, Kent & O'Connor, Inc. - NCBFAA Legislative Representative
• Jerry Becnel, J. W. Allen & Co., Inc. - NCBFAA GAC Chair
• Charles Riley, John A. Steer Co. - NCBFAA Legislative Committee Chair

Précis:  These presentations represent a tour de force in the wide-ranging activities of the Transportation Committee this year: exports; port congestion and SOLAS; and air cargo regulation.  Each subcommittee chair will share those "hot issues" that dominate their agenda -- the challenges facing forwarders, NVOCCs and Indirect Air Carriers and the steps being taken to keep cargo moving.

Panel:

• Rich Roche, Mohawk Global Logistics - NCBFAA NVOCC SubcommitteeChair
• Donna Mullins, Mullins International Solutions - NCBFAA Air Cargo Subcommittee Chair
• Paulette Kolba, DSV Air and Sea, Inc. – NCBFAA Export Compliance Sub-Committee Chair

Moderator: Edward Greenberg, GKG Law, P.C. - NCBFAA Transportation Counsel

Précis: More than ever before, the Participating Government Agencies (PGAa) have become an integral part of our work processes. With the President's Executive Order, we are facing the challenge of their transition to ITDS/ACE.Our Regulatory Affairs Committee Chair will explore the details of that transition with three agencies of great interest to customs brokers. In turn, attendees will have the opportunity to share their experience with these key PGAs.

Panel:

• John E. Verbeten, Food and Drug Administration
• Sheila Einsweiler, Fish and Wildlife Service
• Cindy Walters, APHIS

Moderator: Roger Clarke, Williams Clarke Company, Inc. - NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee Chair

Précis: ACE has dominated 2016. This successor to ACS has consumed a multitude of resources -- in time and money, as well as keeping brokers, software vendors and other key industry participants awake at night. In the backdrop of the system becoming mandatory, ACS being shut off, and PGAs transitioning, concerns abound about its December deadline and completing the unfinished  elements of ACE after that. This panel will assess where we are and where ACE is going.

Panel:

• Amy Magnus, A. N. Deringer, Inc. - NCBFAA Vice President
• Stuart Schmidt, UPS Supply Chain Solutions - NCBFAA Customs Committee Member
• Myra Reynolds, John S. James Company - NCBFAA Customs Committee
• Michael Cerny, Global Customs & Trade Specialists, Inc. - NCBFAA Drawback Committee
• Cynthia Whittenburg, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade, CBP 

CBP Report from the Commissioner

Précis: CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske concludes his time at the helm of the agency at the end of this year. He has forged an especially strong relationship with NCBFAA, as we have worked together to address a myriad of issues. Of special note is the transition to ACE for CBP and the Participating Government Agencies. 2016 also witnessed the passage of the Customs Reauthorization Bill, which has brought a great number of new enforcement challenges to us both. The Commissioner will bring attendees up to date on what lies ahead for CBP and the Association. 

Speaker: R. Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner, Customs & Border Protection

Introduced by:

• Geoffrey C. Powell, C. H. Powell Co. - NCBFAA President

Moderator:

• Jon Kent, Kent & O'Connor, Inc. - NCBFAA Legislative Representative
• Jerry Becnel, J. W. Allen & Co., Inc. - NCBFAA GAC Chair
• Charles Riley, John A. Steer Co. - NCBFAA Legislative Committee Chair

Moderator: Jan Fields, John S. James Company - NCBFAA Transportation Committee Chair

Moderator: Mary Jo Muoio, OHL dba Barthco - NCBFAA Customs Committee Chair