US Census Data Deemed Highly Secure

The 35th Annual National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) Conference was held in Rancho Mirage, CA on April 19 of this year. A topic of interest discussed during a popular seminar, “CBP Imposition of Penalties for Violation of AES” included the security of the Electronic Export Information (EEI). To maintain the security of census data, exporters are restricted from submitting EEI data to any foreign country, regardless of the reason for the request.

The US Census Bureau publishes only a summary of statistics of the information included on the EEI. The details of individual exporter information are strictly confidential. The only government agencies with access to the census data are the following:
• US Principal Party in Interest (PPI)
• US PPI’s Agent
• US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
• US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Parties that are denied access to the EEI data include:
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Foreign Governments
• Private attorneys


For more information on the security of your census data, please visit the US Census Bureau.

For more information on EEI filing, please visit the Automated Export System (AES) Filing Mandate.

10 Ways to Reduce the Cost and Risk of Global Trade Management

In today’s uncertain times, one thing remains certain: There will always be changing global trade rules and technologies. The following are 10 of the top ways we believe companies can ensure they are being as efficient, safe and cost-conscious as possible in the short run while building a sound infrastructure for future needs.

With the goals to reduce cost and risk in the supply chain, automation and working closely with partners are the two most practical areas of opportunity.

Below are the abbreviated 10 ways to reduce cost and risk in global trade management. For the full version, visit the Journal of Commerce website

1. Companies must validate more things.

2. Importers and exporters have more direct accountability.

3. Electronic submission is required.

4. Savings opportunities can be realized by having proactive plans.

5. Enabling scalability so companies can expand their trade management capabilities gracefully.

6. Build a virtual network of partners, vendors, agencies, etc.

7. SaaS-based systems are cheaper and easier to work with.

8. Supply chain security is critical.

9. Keeping the entire trade picture in view.

10. Part of corporate social responsibility reporting.

Managing global trade will continue to be laden with complexities and changes from all sides of the puzzle: governments, trading partners, service providers and related partners, nongovernmental interest groups and consumers. As such, importers and exporters are challenged to provide global trade processes that incorporate all the collaborating parties, changing laws, new and historical data and accomplished work from the virtual network. Utilizing automation and partners is more necessary than ever to streamline processes while ensuring the highest levels of safety and compliance.