6165 Barfield Road
Atlanta GA, 30328
United States
Tel: +1 (770)688-1206
Fax: +1 (770)688-1229
Each year representatives from the trade community attend the NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, Inc.) GAC (Government Affairs Conference) in Washington D.C. This conference provides attendees with the chance to engage directly with influential government parties including Senators and Congressional Representatives regarding current events and industry issues. JAS Forwarding USA Inc. Compliance team members participated and “Marched the Hill” at this year’s conference. We are proud that our team is engaged with lawmakers and excited to be a part of the patriotic process of discussing challenging issues with our elected officials.
This year’s conference began on September 10th and finished up on September 14th. One of this year’s topics of engagement by members of the NCBFAA was infrastructure and port dredging. Related to this topic is the Water Resources Development Act S.2848. This legislation addresses shortfalls in funding for various infrastructure projects to keep US Ports and Harbors competitive and in step with the continuous growth of vessel capacity. Key projects which are significant in numerous ports is continuous harbor deepening and dredging projects. With growth in vessel capacity comes increased draft (the amount of water required to float the vessel- the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull- water depth must be greater than the draft) which means that harbors need more depth. Failure to keep up with projects of this nature can have significant negative effects on the economy as the large vessels will not call where they cannot dock.
GAC attendees “Marched the Hill” on Tuesday September 13, 2016. On September 15, 2016, by a vote of 95 to 3, the U.S. Senate passed the S.2848, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016. It is exciting to see action in a timely manner after engaging with our elected officials. JAS Forwarding USA Inc. Compliance team looks forward to attending next year and would welcome any topics our valued clients would like to raise that may be addressed in the future. Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can make a difference together!
For December, we are highlighting Jeffrey Bispham on the West Coast! Jeff has been in the industry for 26 years and remembers using a typewriter to prepare 7512's. He has always worked in the import/customs brokerage side of logistics. Jeff was adopted as part of the JAS Family when JAS acquired Tigers back in 2021 where Jeff had long tenure.
In October 2023, the JAS Forwarding (USA) Tacoma Foreign Trade Zone became an active FTZ in the JAS USA Network. Jeff became the FTZ administrator of that site and has been instrumental in building the compliance for our FTZ site on the West Coast.
Jeff enjoys all sports, although he would tell all that he has become more of a spectator than a player as the years have passed. Jeff enjoys being outdoors. But most of all, he enjoys spending time with his family. That time can often occur at the beach, or a Seattle sporting event (Mariners, Seahawks and Kraken).
Jeff is yet another great example that People Make the Difference!
In November, JAS USA Corporate Compliance team members teamed up with JAS Atlanta Branch team members to facilitate client compliance training. From left to right, Calvin Oh (Corporate Compliance), Scott Cassell (Corporate Compliance), Carlo Rebuffi (Manager of Live Animals Division-ATL), Laurie Arnold (VP Corporate Compliance), and Rishma Patel (CHB Manager-ATL). The team was able to facilitate learning on the topic of import compliance.
OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control), part of the Department of Treasury, has imposed a $1.1 Million penalty on a US individual. The panlty was issued for 75 violations of OFAC Iran sanctions.
To read the full details check out the link below:
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