The changing role of the customs broker will be one of the most important challenges facing our industry in the year 2012. Our expanding role will include pre-certification and pre-application of importers into the Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Importer Self Assessment programs established by Customs and Border Protection. Customs brokers will also be responsible for vetting their powers of attorney by establishing requirements for importers to present bona fides and to then obtain evidence of those bona fides. This is to help prevent incidents of identity theft.
We will be expected to maintain professionalism by participating in continued education. No criteria has yet been set regarding continued education, so we need to be prepared to make comments when requested. Having continued education will increase the value of our license as well as benefit the trade community.
Regulatory modernization through the Automated Commercial Environment will be required to log continuing education, upload permit qualification and employee updates.If you are not participating in ACE now is the time to start, it is not going away.
Changes in the language for penalty and disciplinary actions to the customs broker will include immediate suspension of license for threats to national security upon review, provide due process provisions and focus on bad broker license revocation rather than removal of the filer code.
Most of these changes are expected to take place in the first quarter of 2012 and having the knowledge of these changes will be critically important for the customs broker.