Local NY/NJ Terminal Closures
Maher Terminals facilities including the Maher Empty Depot operated by Columbia will be open for truck line activity between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, February 12, 2016 (Lincoln’s birthday).
Maher Terminals will be closed for business on Monday, February 15, 2016 (President’s Day).
PNCT Friday, 2/12, Lincoln's Birthday, PNCT gate hours will be 7am-4pm
APM will be CLOSED on both days. All imports that are within free time will be extended by 2 days for these closures
Friday, 2/12: Red Hook is CLOSED. Monday, 2/15: CLOSED. Please plan accordingly
Fri, 2/12 – All open - Mon, 2/15 – Salson open. H&M, TSC closed. East Coast office closed. Warehouse open 7a – 2p, out gating open 8a – 12p
Hatch Applauds Senate Action on Bipartisan Customs Legislation
U.S. Senate Committee
Utah Senator Says, “This is a big win for American job creators and the future of trade policy in our country. Even more, it further underscores that through bipartisan persistence and hard work Congress can accomplish great things.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) applauded Senate passage of H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. The measure, which was authored in the Senate by Finance leaders, Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection and puts in place effective tools to strengthen trade enforcement at the border and facilitate the efficient movement of legitimate trade and travel. Passage of the bill marks the largest legislative reform in customs and enforcement policy in nearly 20 years.
“Today’s Senate action culminates what has been an historic thirteen months for trade legislation in our chamber,” said Hatch. “Years of stagnation had enabled countless trade problems to accumulate, many of them crying for legislative resolution. Today, Congress responded and moved to enact legislation that will strengthen and modernize U.S. international trade institutions and policies for generations to come. This is a big win for American job creators and the future of trade policy in our country. Even more, it further underscores that through bipartisan persistence and hard work Congress can accomplish great things.”
The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act passed the Senate by a vote of 75 to 20. This marks the fourth major trade bill that has moved through the 114th Congress under Chairman Hatch’s leadership. With approval from the U.S. Senate, this legislation will send two more Senate Finance Committee bills to the President’s desk to be signed into law. In addition to the trade enforcement provisions, H.R. 644 included the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act, bipartisan legislation to permanently ban the internet tax.
FDA Seeks $5.1 Billion Total for FY 2017, Including Funds to Implement Food Safety Law, Improve Medical Product Safety and Quality
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
FY 2017 request reflects eight percent increase from last year, includes key funds for cancer initiative
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting a total budget of $5.1 billion to protect and promote the public health as part of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget – an eight percent increase over the enacted budget for FY 2016. The overall request includes a net increase of $14.6 million in budget authority and $268.7 million in user fees for initiatives tied to several key areas, including the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) and efforts to improve medical product safety and quality. The agency is also seeking $75 million in new mandatory funding to support the National Cancer Moonshot initiative being led by the Vice President.
“The FDA continues to work to obtain the most public health value for the federal dollar as we address expanded regulatory responsibilities and scientific challenges,” said FDA Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, M.D. “The agency remains fully committed to meeting the needs and high expectations of the American people regarding the products we regulate, as well as advancing the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.”
The FY 2017 request covers the period from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2017. Highlights of the FDA FY 2017 budget include (net increases of):
- Continued Implementation of a New Food Safety System (+$18.4 million in budget authority; +$193.2 million in user fees): The FDA has finalized major rules that implement the core of FSMA, the most sweeping overhaul of the country’s food safety system since the first federal food safety law was passed in 1906. The FY 2017 budget builds on this work by supporting federal and state efforts to establish enforceable safety standards for produce farms. Funding also will enable the FDA to continue progress to hold importers accountable for verifying that imported food meets U.S. safety standards, as well as conduct food safety audits of foreign food facilities.
- Improving the Safety and Quality of Medical Products (+$3.2 million in budget authority; +$38 million in user fees): The FDA’s FY 2017 budget request seeks to improve safety and quality and support innovation across a wide range of regulated medical products that are crucial to the health of Americans and impact nearly every aspect of medical care in the United States. With this request, the FDA will improve medical product safety and availability by: evaluating precision medicine tools to “personalize” the diagnosis and treatment of disease; improving the safety of compounded drugs through sustained or increased inspection and enforcement activities, and policy development; addressing public health safety concerns associated with antimicrobial drug use in animals to better protect antibiotic effectiveness for both human and animal populations; and supporting animal drug and medical device review. These efforts are in concert with other top priorities such as identifying solutions to prevent prescription opioid abuse, speeding the access to safe and effective generic drugs and reducing the number of drug shortages.
- Supporting the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative (+$75 million in mandatory funding): In order to support the dramatic increase in the number, complexity, and effectiveness of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, the FDA will develop a virtual Oncology Center of Excellence to leverage the combined skills of regulatory scientists and reviewers with expertise in drugs, biologics, and devices. This center will expedite the development of novel combination products and support an integrated approach in: evaluating products for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer; supporting the continued development of companion diagnostic tests, and the use of combinations of drugs, biologics and devices to treat cancer; and developing and promoting the use of methods created through the science of precision medicine.
- Investing in the FDA’s Infrastructure (+$3 million in building and facilities funding; +$600,000 in other infrastructure-related funding): The FDA’s responsibilities continue to escalate as the agency works to fulfill the mandates of groundbreaking legislation passed in recent years. This expansion of authorities urgently requires that the FDA’s critical infrastructure at its owned locations is properly functioning to enable the agency to carry out its mission and respond to food safety and medical product emergencies.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
Low Country CBP Officers Seize $1.6M in Counterfeit and Potentially Dangerous Hoverboards
U.S. Customs & Border Protection
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The holiday season may have passed, but not the importation of popular items that consumers are eager to buy. It is U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) border security responsibility to ensure that these imports comply with all applicable U.S. laws, including consumer safety standards. When imports don’t, CBP removes them from circulation.
Recently, CBP’s Port of Charleston, S.C. did just that when officers seized two shipments containing 2,380 counterfeit hoverboards because they violated trademark protections, and because they posed a potential health risk to U.S. consumers.
If authentic, the hoverboards, which were manufactured in China, would have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,666,000.
“Enforcing product safety laws and protecting intellectual property rights is a top priority for Customs and Border Protection,” said Anthony Acrey, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director for the Port of Charleston. “By seizing untested and potentially hazardous products at our nation's borders, CBP officers protect the American consumer and contribute to keeping our communities safe beyond the holiday season."
Hoverboards—self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized platforms—are one of this year’s most popular items. However, major safety concerns have surfaced following reports of fires possibly caused by substandard and counterfeit lithium ion batteries within some hoverboards.
The swell of counterfeit hoverboards arriving at U.S. ports continue to be a concern for CBP.
CBP in Chicago recently announced a record seizure of more than 16,000 potentially unsafe hoverboards. Nationally, more than 50,000 potentially unsafe boards, with an estimated MSRP approaching $20 million, have been seized.
Counterfeit and pirated products threaten our economic security and undermine legitimate businesses that invest significant resources into manufacturing safe, quality products. Even worse, these products often pose serious health and safety hazards to the people who buy and use them.
CBP’s vigilant enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights protects America’s businesses against the threat of unfair and illicit competition from foreign companies, and prevents goods that may be dangerous to consumers or national security from entering the United States.
If you are aware of or suspect a company or individual of infringing your trademark or copyright, please report the trade violation to CBP at e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System. Trade violations can also be reported by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.
San Juan CBP Seizes More than $1.6 Million in Counterfeit Merchandise
U.S. Customs & Border Protection
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations announced today the seizure of nearly 10,000 counterfeit products, valued at more than $1.6 million at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
A wide range of counterfeited products were seized during the operation, to include: medical equipment, automotive parts, luxury jewelry, electronics and more. Various shipments inspected by CBP officers during the operation revealed products that infringed the intellectual property rights of numerous branded names, as Apple, Audi, Beats by Dr. Dre, BMW, Cartier, Gucci, Mercedes, Oakley, PANDORA, Porsche, Samsung, Tous, Toyota, among many others. The products were all shipped from vendors in China.
The seizures were all part of a week-long operation carried out by CBP’s Mobile Intellectual Property Enforcement Team (MIPET), with the support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“Trade intelligence, joint targeting and combining inspectional resources from our partner agencies are all key ingredients to protecting the U.S. economy and consumers from counterfeit products,” said Edward Ryan, Assistant Director of Trade for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. “We are looking forward to conducting follow-up MIPET operations with our partners to further protect legitimate businesses and consumers from intellectual property thieves.”
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive IPR enforcement program. CBP targets and seizes imports of counterfeit and pirated goods, and enforces exclusion orders on patent-infringing and other IPR goods.
If you have information about counterfeit merchandise being illegally imported into the United States, CBP encourages you to submit an E-Allegation. The e-Allegation provides a means for the public to anonymously report to CBP any suspected violations of trade laws or regulations related to the importation of goods into the U.S.
These types of violations include misclassification of merchandise, false country of origin markings, health and safety issues, valuation issues, and intellectual property rights. To submit your trade allegation, please visit E-Allegation.
The President’s National Cybersecurity Plan: What You Need to Know
The White House
Summary: Here are a few answers to questions you might have about the President's new Cybersecurity National Action Plan.
Today, President Obama is releasing his final budget proposal of his Administration. It's a strong reflection of what investments he believes will move our country forward and keep our country and the American people safe.
A key part of that involves the strength of our nation's cybersecurity. From buying products, to running businesses, to chatting with the people we love, our online world has fundamentally reshaped the way we live our lives. But living in a digital age also makes us more vulnerable to malicious cyber activity.
We have to adapt to this national threat. That's why President Obama has worked for more than seven years to aggressively and comprehensively confront this challenge. So today, he is directing the Administration to implement a Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) -- the capstone of our national cybersecurity efforts.
So what's the CNAP all about? How will the President's plan help you protect your identity? What's he calling for in his budget? Here are a few answers to some questions Americans might have about the President's plan to strengthen our cybersecurity:
What are the cybersecurity threats we currently face?
From the beginning of his administration, President Obama has made it clear that cybersecurity is one of the most important challenges we face as a nation -- and for good reason. Criminals, terrorists, and countries that wish to do us harm have realized that attacking us online is often easier than physically attacking us in person. And with more and more sensitive data being stored online, the consequences of those cyber incidents are only growing more significant. For example, identity theft is now the fastest growing crime in America. Think about it: Are you on Facebook, or Venmo? Do you use DropBox? While tools like these make our lives much simpler and help power the innovation of today’s world, our personal information exists online in a way it never has before.
And remember the Sony hack? Our innovators and entrepreneurs have reinforced our global leadership and grown our economy, but with each new story of a high-profile company hacked or a neighbor defrauded, more Americans are left to wonder whether technology’s benefits could risk being outpaced by its costs.
The President believes that meeting these new threats is necessary and within our grasp. But it requires a bold reassessment of the way we approach security in the digital age and a significant investment to ensure we can implement the best security strategies. In short, if we’re going to be connected, we need to be protected. That’s what the CNAP is all about.
What is the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP)?
It’s the capstone of more than seven years of effort from this administration that takes near-term actions and puts in place a long-term strategy to ensure the federal government, the private sector, and American citizens can take better control of our digital security.
The President’s plan takes new action both now and in the long-term to help the conditions we need to improve our approach on cybersecurity across the federal government, the private sector, and our personal lives. Here’s a brief look at what it does:
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