On November 25, 2020 US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a notice [Docket No. USCBP-2020-0064] that Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) will hold its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The meeting will be open to the public via webinar only. There is no on-site, in-person option for this quarterly meeting. The COAC will meet on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.The meeting may close early if the committee has completed its business. Comments must be submitted in writing no later than December 15, 2020.

Agenda

The COAC will hear from the current subcommittees on the topics listed below and then will review, deliberate, provide observations, and formulate recommendations on how to proceed:

1. The Secure Trade Lanes Subcommittee will present updates related to the four active working groups as follows: Trusted Trader Working Group will present recommendations on the newly issued CBP White Paper for the Implementation of CTPAT Trade Compliance Requirements for Forced Labor; the In-Bond Working Group will provide an update on the ongoing work with the technical enhancements that is being shared with the Trade Support Network; the Export Modernization Working Group will report on the progress of the development of the White Paper mentioned during the October COAC meeting and present additional recommendations; and, the Remote and Autonomous Cargo Processing Working Group will provide an update on the progress reviewing the various modes of conveyance and automation opportunities.

2. The Intelligent Enforcement Subcommittee will discuss the kickoff of the Intellectual Property Rights Process Modernization Working Group that will leverage prior recommendations by formulating recommendations to address automation and data sharing. The Bond Working Group will report on continued work with CBP on the Monetary Guidelines for Setting Bond Amounts as part of a larger risk-based bonding initiative. The Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) Working Group will report on their continued work with CBP related to the growing number of complex AD/CVD cases. The Forced Labor Working Group will report on progress toward prioritized recommendations and future scope of work.

3. The Next Generation Facilitation Subcommittee will provide an update on the progress of the One U.S. Government Working Group and work-to-date on the Global Business Identifier initiative. The subcommittee will also report on their progress with Partner Government Agencies regarding advancement in Trusted Trader initiatives. There will be an update by the Emerging Technologies Working Group regarding their assessment of various technologies such as quantum computing evaluated this past quarter that could be adapted for use by CBP and the trade. The subcommittee will provide an update on the 21st Century Customs Framework initiative.

4. The Rapid Response Subcommittee will discuss the work that has been done by the Broker Exam Modernization Working Group regarding resolving challenges encountered during the recent October exam and continuing efforts to modernize and improve the quality and experience of future broker exams. Meeting materials will be available by December 14, 2020, at: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/stakeholder-engagement/coac/coac-public-meetings