On January 31, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued Executive Order “Ensuring Safe and Lawful E-Commerce for US Consumers, Businesses, Government Supply Chains, and Intellectual Property Rights” to increase regulation of parties facilitating the trafficking of contraband goods.
The Executive Order calls for a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish criteria for importers to obtain an importer of record number.
The Order also requires express consignment operators, carriers, hub facilities, and licensed customs brokers to notify U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of any known or believed attempt by any persons who failed to meet the criteria for an importer of record number to re-establish business activity under a different name or address. Failure to notify CBP can result in suspension of operating privileges, limitation of participation in any trusted trade programs, or the suspension or revocation of a customs broker’s license.
The Department of Homeland Security will also establish a non-compliance metric to monitor the effectiveness of international posts in reducing contraband trafficking.
The Executive Order can be found here:
