COAC Looks to Finish Work on Proposed Customs Legislation by June Meeting
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee intends to finalize its input on CBP’s 21st Century Customs Framework legislative initiative at an upcoming COAC meeting in June, CBP said in a document released ahead of the March 29 meeting of the advisory committee.
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CBP will “refine 21CCF legislative drafts with the 21CCF Task Force” between March and June and “explore industry-identified facilitation proposals for inclusion in the 21CCF package,” the agency said. Then, at the June meeting, “the 21CCF Task Force will provide a final recommendation on the five 21CCF legislative drafts that the COAC has not yet voted on as well as CBP’s draft language addressing industry facilitation proposals,” CBP said.
After the meeting in June, “CBP will share a finalized 21CCF legislative package with Congress and highlight the COAC’s positions on each provision,” CBP said. An agency official recently said he hopes the legislative package will be turned in by the end of 2023 (see 2301180028).
“21CCF priorities continue to gain traction on Capitol Hill,” CBP said, adding “House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee members have expressed interest in advancing customs modernization legislation in 2023.” Senate Finance intends to hold a second hearing with government witnesses “by summer,” following up on a hearing it held in February where committee members identified customs legislation as a priority (see 2302160065).
CBP has already presented its positions to the COAC on facilitation measures proposed by the trade community for inclusion in the legislation (see 2210140051), rejecting at least nine of the 19 proposed facilitation measures, the COAC said in a separate document released in advance of the March 29 meeting.
“COAC believes CBP has additional opportunities to further refine their position and offer additional facilitative changes in their draft,” the COAC said.