NCBFAA Launches CCS Program

Washington, DC: Customs experts in the United States will now be recognized by the CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designation. Launched during the recent Annual Conference of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc. (NCBFAA) in San Diego, California, the CCS program is the only one of its kind in the U.S and is modeled after the highly successful CCS program administered in Canada by the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSCB).
        "Thanks to this exciting new program, our clients will see these CCS designations and know immediately that the folks they are dealing with are not only informed but also current in their knowledge," said NCBFAA President Federico Zuniga. "And with all the significant changes coming our way, being current is a critical factor in performing our duties in international trade."
        The NCBFAA and its members know what it takes to thrive and prosper as a customs broker, with increasingly complex demands of trade compliance and border security. The CCS program now sets the standards for the industry -- helping customs brokers establish rewarding careers, and polish their professional skills through a lifetime of learning. 
        To initiate the CCS designation program, the NCBFAA will grant CCS designate status to qualified Licensed Customs Brokers upon application. To maintain their designation, these "grandfathered" Licensed Customs Brokers, like all future CCS designates, will have to fulfill the program’s continuing education requirements on an annual basis. In San Diego, members of the NCBFAA Board of Directors unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed the CCS vision, applying to become the first CCS designates in the United States. 
        "I am really excited about our CCS program, especially this grandfathering opportunity which invites licensed customs broker in the United States to get in on the ground floor," said Mr. Zuniga. "With it annual continuing education requirements, I fully expect clients to use a firm’s participation in this program as an important criteria when deciding to send business its way."
        The CCS designation is destined to become the new standard in the customs marketplace – recognized, and demanded by those who use brokerage services throughout the country. Those who maintain their CCS designate status on an annual basis will demonstrate their ongoing commitment to professional development and the high quality of service expected from those with the CCS designation. Timely, complete information is critical to the CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) and this NCBFAA program will provide these individuals with access to information on new customs policies, administrative programs, and fast changing international trade agreements, so they have the knowledge needed to stay current.
        Beginning in October 2005, the NCBFAA will be offering a year-long course for those who currently do not hold customs broker licenses but who wish to become CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designates.
        Headquartered in Washington, DC, the NCBFAA (members.ncbfaa.org) represents nearly 800 member companies - the nation's leading freight forwarders, customs brokers, ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), NVOCCs and air cargo agents, and related transportation logistics companies as well as the importers and exporters they represent. Established in 1897 in New York, NCBFAA is the effective national voice of the industry. Through its various committees, counsel and representatives, the Association maintains a close watch over legislative and regulatory issues that affect its members. It keeps them informed of these and other related issues through its weekly Monday Morning eBriefing,NCBFAA Quarterly Bulletin, subscriber supported Logistics ClientLetter and various meetings, conferences and educational venues throughout the year.