Gene Garza, a Senior Advisor for CT Strategies and former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Director of Field Operations in Laredo, Texas, was interviewed by Laredo news channel KGNS, about an industry-government collaboration effort that has increased security, while decreasing train delays at the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo border crossing. The single-track bridge is the highest … Read more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) held its quarterly COAC meeting, the 2nd of 2019, in Laredo, Texas on May 30th. Laredo has just recently overtaken Los Angeles as the highest volume port in the U.S., processing just over $20B/month in trade this past spring. CBP Leaders and trade advisory committee members of the COAC … Read more
The IV Hemispheric Conference on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Logistics was held in Panama City, Panama, from April 1 to April 3, 2019. It was organized by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Organization of American States (OAS). The conference provides government and industry an opportunity to discuss comprehensive port management, regional connectivity, multimodal logistics, automation … Read more
The Border Security Expo held each year in San Antonio, Texas, gives public and private sector officials the opportunity to discuss emerging threats and trends in the border security mission space. Key officials across local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are invited to discuss both current and future challenges their agencies face relating to … Read more
Battling the Risk of Counterfeits as E-Commerce Grows Globally As cross-border e-commerce booms globally, concerns regarding counterfeit items remain a risk to both producers and consumers. To combat this threat, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is working alongside private sector entities to interdict and deter a host of counterfeit items ranging from cosmetics to … Read more
This March, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), held its 13th annual World Cargo Symposium in Singapore. The symposium consisted of over 1,000 air cargo leaders and more than 40 exhibitors including freight forwarders, regulators, and airline officials. 2019’s theme was “Enhancing Global Trade”. CT Strategies’ Andrew Farrelly, drawing from his experience implementing air cargo … Read more
CT Strategies was recently admitted to the Border Security Technology Consortium (BSTC) as a non-traditional government contractor. The BSTC was established with the purpose of quickly testing and evaluating the practicality of new and potentially revolutionary border security technology. Under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Directive 0771.1, Other Transaction Authority (OTA), the BSTC was authorized with the … Read more
On November 27, 2018 CT Strategies’ Partner Allen Gina took part in a webinar hosted by Jennifer Diaz, Founder of the Diaz Trade Law in Miami. The two discussed a wide range of current CBP priorities, including CBP policy on import detentions and seizures, the need to consider U.S. National Security when enforcing laws prohibiting the … Read more
On November 6, CT Strategies’ Co-Founder, Al Gina, moderated a panel on ‘Emerging Issues in Forced Labor’ with a group of Customs Attorneys in downtown DC at the office of Hogan & Lovells. Co-sponsoring the event were the Young Trade Professionals, the International Trade and Investment Law Society, and the Customs Lawyers Association. Panelists consisted of Marco … Read more
In October, the Trump Administration began the process of withdrawing from the Universal Postal Union (UPU) because of the subsidized rates it affords to countries like China. The U.S. announced the decision to leave in an August Presidential Memorandum. The Universal Postal Union was established in 1874 and acts as a forum for postal sector stakeholders. Initially, the … Read more