U.S. Federal Government Shutdown and Blueberry Fee

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U.S. Federal Government Shutdown - Effect on CBP Operations October 1, 2013   Dear Customer, The current continuing resolution funding the federal government expired at midnight on September 30, 2013.  While negotiations over the budget continue, a lapse in appropriations, also known as a government shutdown, has occurred. According to a memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on September 17th, each federal department and agency is alerted to update their contingency plans detailing which activities are considered essential and, by law, may continue to be performed during a shutdown. While U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not released an official statement detailing their contingency plan, many CBP operations are considered essential and will likely continue during the government shutdown.    Essential CBP employees include the traditional customs inspectors and border patrol agents; staff at the national targeting centers; support staff for all IT systems; those needed to support the release of the goods; those processing payments to Customs; and FDA and USDA inspectors that are essential for the cargo inspections.  Most of the Office of Field Operations staff are included in the essential category.  Those considered non-essential would be furloughed. These include almost all of the staff at the Office of International Trade so decisions on protests, rulings, etc. will be delayed.  Most support staff at CBP will also be furloughed including most HR functions, admins, etc.  Certain aspects/functions of other government agencies will also be affected during any shutdown period. CBP has information on the shutdown posted on their website here. Additional information will be shared on our website as it becomes available. Blueberry Fee Increasing in 2014 October 1, 2013   The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a final rule effective January 1, 2014, that they will increase the assessments on imported and domestic blueberries.  The rate will rise from $12 to $18 per ton. Importers and producers who import or produce less than 2,000 pounds of blueberries annually, as well as importers and producers of 100% organic blueberries, will continue to be exempt from these assessments. The revenues from these assessments are used for research and promotion projects designed to maintain and expand the market for highbush blueberries in the U.S. and abroad, and the AMS states that the additional funds from the increased assessments will allow an expansion of health research activities and promotional efforts used to help build demand for blueberries. Additional details may be found here. If you have any questions, please contact your DHL Global forwarding representative or chb.consulting@dhl.com. Best Regards, Paul Vroman Manager, Regulatory & Compliance Consulting and Projects DGF USA Please note that due to the complex nature of the subject matter, DHL Global Forwarding cannot be responsible for actions taken by the reader in reliance on the information contained herein without prior consultation with DHL Global Forwarding.  © 2013 - DHL Global Forwarding | 1801 NW 82nd Avenue | Miami, FL 33126 USA www.dhl-dgf.com . MarketingCommunicationsDGFUSA@dhl.com | Miami, FL 33126 US This email was sent to angelo.evangelista2006.schedule@blogger.com. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences | opt out using TrueRemove®. Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.