News

Friday, April 20, 2018, Leadership from CBP, TAMIU and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar gathered at Texas A&M International University to formally dedicate the new offices for the Machinery Center of Excellence and Expertise, which will be housed within TAMIU’s Western Hemispheric Trade Center. Event hosts discussed the Center’s purpose and other joint projects that will be realized through this collaborative effort. 

• Assistant Director, Trade Operations Armando Taboada, Laredo Field OfficeDirector, 
  
• President Pablo Arenaz, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)
  
• Director, Field Operations, David P. Higgerson, Laredo Field Office
  
• U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, U.S. House of Representatives
  
• LLUSCBA VicePresident Monica Salinas
  
• Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz

LLUSCBA JOINS CITY OFFICIALS IN LEGISLATIVE TRIP TO NATION’S CAPITAL

Earlier this month, G-13 saw its efforts come to fruition.  G-13 is a group of local business and educational organizations that have joined forces to advance issues of interest to the private sector.  The group joined the City of Laredo delegation on its annual legislative trip to Washington, DC.  This is the second consecutive year that the Laredo G-13 delegation collaborates with the Chamber’s on the annual legislative trip.  The group hand-carried with them a legislative plan of action that they had developed over the past few months identifying and advocating issues of importance and interest to the economic development of the business community.  These topics were delivered in the form of position papers that were derived through an inclusive, comprehensive manner with the participation of all thirteen local business and educational associations. These included:

• International Trade and NAFTA–  Laredo is the nation’s largest and most important inland port. In 2016 it processed over $230 billion of cargo. With one of the largest concentrations of U.S. customs brokers and freight forwarders in the nation, this industry represents a major source of employment for the Laredo/Webb area, but it also serves as a gateway for trade for almost every state in the union. A quick renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is vital to the flow of commerce with the U.S.’ leading trade partners.
• Border Security– Security of our borders is vital to the safety of the nation’s citizenry and to ensure secure flow of legal commerce.  The Laredo Chamber supports the strengthening of resources, human and other, in particular at the nation’s ports of entry, and the reinforcement of border security with the use of technology.
• Also included was a recently published white paper “Common Sense: Border Security Solutions”by Mr. Dennis Nixon that outlines important elements regarding the cleanup of the Rio Grand to give Border Patrol access and visibility; Clearing the backlog of the immigration court system by hiring more immigration judges; and cost-effective measures that would enhance opportunities for security without building a wall.
• Infrastructure: Freight Mobility– Having international bridges that move traffic efficiently is of little consequence if the infrastructure providing access and exit to/from the bridges is antiquated and inefficient.  A case is made to provide additional support for completion of the I-35/I-69 interchange in the short term and for eventual construction of a fifth international bridge.
• Workforce Development –Laredo has a young and plentiful labor force; yet highly unskilled.  A program to support training in STEM and technological fields is proposed.
• Transportation –Laredo has two major railroads and over 200 trucking companies servicing its freight industry.  The local industry offers innovative solutions for the recruitment of drivers as well as support for infrastructure development.

               A total of twenty-six members representative of the various G-13 business organizations signed up for the legislative trip to Washington, DC.  In the nation’s capital, the group hosted a breakfast meeting with U.S. Senator Cornyn, who addressed the group and reassured his support of the INFRA Grant application for the Laredo I-35/I69W improvements project. The group also had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Henry Cuellar, Senator Ted Cruz and his staff; Congressman David Reichert, Chair of the Subcommittee for Trade; Congressman Mike Conaway, Chair on the House Committee on Agriculture; as well as experts in particular fields from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  These included: Monique Thierry, Executive Director of USCC Southwest & South Central Regional Office; Christopher Wenk, Executive Director for International Policy; Jon Baselice, Director of Immigration Policy; and Ed Mortimer, Executive Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Policy Team.  Some members of the group had opportunity to attend a breakfast meeting addressing the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement which featured David MacNaughton, who serves as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States; Gerónimo Gutiérrez, who serves as Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States; U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas; and, U.S. Representative Will Hurd, from the 23rd Congressional District of Texas.

Forming the business delegation were:

The Laredo Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1915 is Laredo’s and Webb County’s longest running business organization.  The Laredo Chamber works constantly to create a business-friendly environment in the community.  It currently counts with 700 members within its rolls, representing every facet of the business community. 

Please download the following files:

Chamber Legislative Agenda 17-18 .pdf

Common Sense -Thoughts from Dennis Nixon.pdf

News release DC Trip 18.pdf

CONTACT:
Miriam M. Castillo
Vice President

miriam@laredochamber.com

956-722-9895

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Wood Packaging Material (WPM) and Carrier Contamination Outreach
Sponsored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Agriculture Programs Trade Liaison, Washington, D.C. and in Collaboration with USDA-APHIS-PPQ
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Laredo Community College – De La Garza Building

LAREDO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Laredo Field Office, port management officials, flanked by Laredo, Nuevo Laredo elected officials today dedicated a rebuilt World Trade Bridge cargo facility following a devastating May 2017 weather event and announced future modernization efforts.

“World Trade Bridge is a jewel within the Laredo Field Office’s ports of entry, a facility where we process more commercial trucks than any other port in the nation. Today we celebrate the completion of the buildback of our premier cargo processing facility and we anxiously await more good things in the near future with the WTB 2.0 modernization effort,” said Director, Field Operations David P. Higgerson, Laredo Field Office. “The best is yet to come.”

CBP management, Laredo elected officials and a key international trade stakeholder prepare to cut the ribbon for the dedication of the rebuilt World Trade Bridge cargo facility. From left, Past-President, Chairman Enrique Gonzalez, Laredo Licensed U.S. Custom Brokers Association, Port Director Alberto Flores, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, Director, Field Operations David P. Higgerson, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, Nuevo Laredo Presidente Municipal Enrique Rivas Cuellar.

A microburst weather event in May 2017 inflicted serious flooding damage to the CBP processing facility at World Trade Bridge and also impacted Secretaría de Administración Tributaria (SAT) Mexico Customs facilities. CBP and SAT immediately implemented business resumption action plans and commercial traffic was temporarily rerouted to Colombia-Solidarity Bridge.

Through a phased-in approach, lines of cargo were gradually restored at World Trade Bridge. Full cargo processing was restored at WTB in late August 2017. CBP kept the trade community apprised of developments through frequent business resumption updates. CBP operated out of a temporary modular facility starting in late July 2017 while repairs were made to the main cargo processing facility and operations there resumed in January 2018.

During today’s facility rededication ceremony, DFO Higgerson in a video presentation shown at the event recounted the history of World Trade Bridge, illustrated the buildback efforts and concluded with a vision of the future, the WTB 2.0 modernization effort, which includes external FAST lanes, state-of-the-art multi-energy portal (MEP) non-intrusive imaging (NII) systems that feed into a common viewer platform housed within a tower-based Command Center that will track all trucks entering and exiting the federal inspection station.

This modernization of World Trade Bridge, together with the buildback of the facility is part an ambitious effort to integrate the latest technologies to process commercial conveyances securely and expeditiously.

The facilitation rededication ceremony also featured presentations by Port Director Alberto A. Flores, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas Cuellar, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and Past President-Chairman Enrique Gonzalez, Laredo Licensed U.S. Custom Brokers Association. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a ribbon cutting was held followed by a facility tour.

An overview of requirements and processes to
 Import and Export Agricultural products

We had our regular monthly meeting with CBP this past Wednesday February 7th, 2018

A new broker license was presented by Port Director Alberto Flores to Gabriel Luna

CBP Deputy Director Field Office Bradd Skinner and LLUSCBA Customs Commitee chairperson Olga Cantu

LCC and The Laredo Licensed US Customs Brokers Association partnered to foster student success with a scholarship donation to support career pathways in trade, transportation, logistics, and cyber security.

A check for $1,500 was presented to increase an endowment established 15 years ago to a balance of almost $25,000. 

Another check for $2,500 possible by the generous donation of one of our members who wished to remain anonymous was presented.

Click for more photos and video

The annual permit user fee and annual national permit fee for calendar year 2018 is $141.70.  See  Federal Register Notice 2017-25435.  The payment is due for each permit held. 

Examples:

• 1 district permit and a national permit would necessarily require payment of $283.40.  
  
• Four district permits and a national permit would necessarily require payment of $708.50 in calendar year 2018. 
   
  

Payment is presented where the local permit was issued. For permits issued in Laredo, TX please take payment to cashier's office at World Trade Bridge.

Effective January 2nd, 2018

LLUSCBA office will be located at LCC Campus at Fort McIntosh

Our telephone is also changing to 956-307-3400

US Customs and Border Protection has announced the adjustment of certain user fees beginning January 1, 2018. In accordance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), the minimum merchandise processing fee (MPF) will be increased to $25.67 from $25 and the maximum will be raised to $497.99 from $485

Additional Customs user fees can be found in the Federal Register notice.