In his testimony, Powell stated, “The legislation…strikes the correct balance between improving the enforcement of our nation’s export control laws and facilitating the ability of the private sector to export their product overseas.”
Introduced by Representatives Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), the bill is designed to assist Automated Export System (AES) filers by providing a warning about restricted parties and embargoed countries. Additionally, it creates a licensure program to ensure that AES filers have the requisite knowledge and professionalism.
Powell noted that by alerting exporters to the pitfalls of prohibited exports, the proposed measure will provide not only that exporters can avoid inadvertent or honest mistakes but also “that the filer, most often our [NCBFAA] member, will have the necessary additional resources to process export applications with greater confidence that they meet the letter of the law.”
“The legislation also provides assurance to the government that the filers of AES data have the requisite skills, knowledge and professionalism to merit this trust, by requiring filers to be licensed,” he noted.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the NCBFAA represents nearly 800 member companies with 100,000 employees in international trade - the nation's leading freight forwarders, customs brokers, ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), NVOCCs and air cargo agents, serving more than 250,000 importers and exporters.
