Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 - Detailed breakdown

Requires the National Targeting Center to establish risk assessment methodologies for cargo and issue Trade Alerts to ports of entry for further inspection of specific merchandise.

Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize the seizure of technology, products, or devices imported in violation of prohibitions against circumventing copyright protection measures.

Establishes a National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to coordinate investigations and enforcement activities.

Requires an educational campaign to inform travelers about the implications of importing counterfeit goods and mandates a warning on customs declaration forms about potential penalties.

Mandates training for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel on detecting and seizing illicitly imported cultural property, archaeological materials, and wildlife.

Requires the CBP Commissioner to establish standard operating procedures for electronic device searches, use of force, complaint processing, and the use of unmanned aerial systems.

Prohibits new or renewed trusted traveler program agreements with foreign countries unless the foreign government reports information on lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL or the U.S. government.

Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish and maintain U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance operations in foreign countries to prevent security threats from entering the U.S.

Prohibits preclearance agreements unless the foreign government routinely submits information on lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL or makes it available to the U.S. government.

Adds conviction for committing or conspiring to commit an act of terrorism as grounds for revoking or suspending a customs broker's license or permit.

Requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide trade benefits to private sector entities participating in partnership programs like the Customs–Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C–TPAT).

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to consult with congressional committees before initiating negotiations or entering into mutual recognition arrangements for supply chain security programs.

Directs the Commissioner of CBP to develop and implement Centers of Excellence and Expertise to enhance economic competitiveness, improve trade enforcement, and facilitate legitimate trade.

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program to assign and maintain importer of record numbers, including criteria for obtaining a number and a centralized database.

Requires the Commissioner of CBP to establish a program to adjust bond amounts for importers based on risk assessments to protect federal revenue.

Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require regulations setting minimum standards for customs brokers to verify the identity of importers, with penalties for non-compliance.

Establishes priority trade issues for CBP, including agriculture, antidumping duties, import safety, intellectual property rights, revenue, textiles, and trade agreements.

Allows CBP to share information and samples of merchandise suspected of infringing trademarks or copyrights with the rights holders to assist in enforcement determinations.

Mandates the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate with foreign authorities, share information, and provide technical assistance to enhance global enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Directs the Secretary to negotiate bilateral agreements with foreign countries to enhance cooperation in preventing the evasion of U.S. and foreign trade remedy laws.

Establishes formal procedures for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to investigate claims of evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty orders, including specific timelines and review processes.

Requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to submit an annual report to Congress on efforts to prevent and investigate the evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty orders.

Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require that dumping margins and duty rates for new shippers be based solely on bona fide U.S. sales, outlining criteria for determining what constitutes a bona fide sale.

Requires the SBA's Chief Counsel for Advocacy to convene an Interagency Working Group to gather views from small businesses on the economic impacts of covered trade agreements and report to Congress.

Establishes the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) to provide grants to states for programs that assist eligible small businesses with trade expansion activities like foreign trade missions and marketing.

Establishes a State and Federal Export Promotion Coordination Working Group to improve coordination of federal and state resources for export promotion and financing.

Adds representatives from State trade promotion agencies to the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) and mandates the development of a Federal-State export promotion coordination plan.

Requires the U.S. Trade Representative to consult with Congress to identify and report annually on foreign trade enforcement priorities and the actions taken to address them.

Authorizes the U.S. Trade Representative to suspend trade concessions or other obligations under WTO rules upon request from a domestic industry, following the termination of a previous action.

Directs the International Trade Commission to create a public website for monitoring import data and requires the Secretary of Commerce to publish quarterly reports on trade volume and value.

Mandates that interest earned on certain antidumping and countervailing duties be deposited into a special account for distribution to affected domestic producers.

Directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to address illegal honey importation by creating a database to verify country of origin and consulting with the industry and the FDA.

Requires the U.S. Trade Representative to develop action plans for countries on the "priority watch list" for over a year to improve their protection of intellectual property rights.

Establishes the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund to provide resources for enforcing U.S. rights under trade agreements, monitoring compliance, and supporting capacity-building efforts.

Requires the Treasury Secretary to report semi-annually on the currency policies of major trading partners and engage with countries that have significant trade surpluses and currency undervaluation.

Increases the value of articles that can be imported by one person on one day free of duty and taxes from $200 to $800.

Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to allow duty-free return of any product within 3 years of its export, expanding beyond just products of the United States.

Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to simplify and modernize the customs drawback program by standardizing substitution rules, extending timeframes for claims, and mandating electronic filing.

Authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide after-hours customs services for charter flights at the expense of the charter air carrier, even if overtime funds are not otherwise available.

Establishes a principal U.S. trade negotiating objective to discourage politically motivated boycotts against Israel and requires the President to report to Congress on such activities.

Prohibits U.S. courts from recognizing or enforcing foreign court judgments against U.S. persons that are based on their business activities in Israel or Israeli-controlled territories.

Eliminates the 'consumptive demand' exception in the Tariff Act of 1930, strengthening the prohibition on importing goods made with convict, forced, or indentured labor.

Repeals a 2015 law concerning tariff classifications for performance outerwear, restoring the legal framework that existed before its enactment.

Creates a new tariff category, "recreational performance outerwear," defined by water resistance, sealed seams, and having at least five of eleven specified technical features.

Requires importers to maintain records demonstrating that goods entered as "recreational performance outerwear" meet the specific criteria for that classification.

Modifies the Harmonized Tariff Schedule by striking numerous existing subheadings for outerwear and inserting new ones with updated duty rates for recreational performance outerwear.

Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to change special duty rates for certain footwear and allows for retroactive application for certain entries.

Prohibits trade agreements from requiring changes to U.S. immigration laws or obligating the U.S. to expand visa access.

Establishes U.S. negotiating objectives for trade in fish and seafood, including eliminating trade-distorting subsidies and addressing illegal fishing.

Authorizes the President to grant duty-free treatment for certain articles imported from Nepal to support its economic recovery, effective until December 31, 2025.

Authorizes the President to implement an agreement by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members to reduce duties on certain environmental goods.

Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require certain imported castings, such as manhole covers and lampposts, be marked with their country of origin.

Makes the moratorium on state and local taxes on internet access permanent, with a temporary extension for existing taxes until June 30, 2020.

Establishes educational seminars for customs and immigration enforcement personnel to improve classification, appraisal, and trade enforcement efforts.

Requires all CBP officers and agents to participate in continuing education to maintain understanding of federal legal rulings, court decisions, and departmental policies.

Ensures trade agreements do not create U.S. obligations regarding greenhouse gas emissions measures, unless fulfilling other specified negotiating objectives.

Mandates the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress on the effectiveness of trade enforcement activities by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to establish priorities and performance standards for customs modernization, trade facilitation, and trade enforcement programs.

Requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to jointly develop and submit a biennial strategic plan for trade enforcement and facilitation.

Requires federal agencies to use the ITDS as the primary means of receiving data for the release of imported cargo and clearance of cargo for export by December 31, 2016.

Establishes a committee to advise the Secretaries of the Treasury and Homeland Security on the commercial operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Authorizes the Commissioner of CBP to prescribe regulations allowing CBP to receive donations of technology and training from the private sector to enhance intellectual property rights enforcement.

Requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to jointly submit an annual report to Congress on intellectual property rights enforcement activities.

Creates a new Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Division within the Office of Trade to develop and administer policies to prevent and counter evasion of trade remedy laws.

Ensures U.S. Customs and Border Protection employs, assigns, and trains sufficient personnel with expertise in preventing and investigating the evasion of duties on covered merchandise.

Establishes a new center within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to support the investigation of trade disputes and the monitoring and enforcement of trade agreements.

Creates the new position of Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to handle trade negotiations related to intellectual property.

Establishes a nine-member advisory committee to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the impact of international exchange rates and financial policies on the U.S. economy.

Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to formally establish U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security.

Formally establishes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a distinct agency within the Department of Homeland Security, headed by a Commissioner.

Establishes several key offices within CBP, including U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, Office of Field Operations, Office of Intelligence, and Office of Professional Responsibility.

Requires CBP to publish live wait times for international travelers at the 20 busiest U.S. airports on its website and report annually to Congress.

Authorizes the Secretary to impose disciplinary action on any employee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection who willfully deceives Congress or agency leadership.

Establishes an Office of Trade within U.S. Customs and Border Protection to direct the development and implementation of trade policies, enforcement, and modernization efforts.

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify and provide certifications to Congress at least 60 days before a preclearance operations agreement with a foreign country enters into force.

Requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the costs, benefits, and operations of various partnership and fee-based service programs.

Increases the minimum penalty for failure to file a tax return from $135 to $205 for returns required in calendar years after 2015.

Establishes an interagency working group, chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security, to coordinate federal efforts on ensuring the safety of imported merchandise.

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan with protocols for CBP to respond to incidents where imported merchandise poses a health or safety threat.

Requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to assess the infrastructure and technology needs at the 20 busiest land ports of entry to improve trade facilitation and reduce wait times.

Mandates that individuals in short-term CBP detention (72 hours or less) be provided with adequate food, water, and information on their rights, and repatriated during daylight hours when practicable.

Amends the process for the President to waive prohibitions on trade agreements with countries listed as Tier 3 for human trafficking if they take concrete actions to improve.