Continuing Education Accreditors Shouldn't Charge 'Exorbitant' Fees, CBP Official Says
Although CBP is not setting limits on fees levied by continuing education accreditors, the agency wants to make sure accreditors aren't taking advantage of customs brokers who need to earn the credits, said Elena Ryan, CBP special adviser for programs and policy analysis.
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"We don't have a ceiling or a floor for the cost that somebody could charge," Ryan said during a webinar hosted by the agency last week. "We do anticipate that accreditors will charge, but we want to be very careful when we work with them to make sure" they're competitive with one another and "not exorbitant to the person who would be coming to them for a service."
Ryan's comments came about two weeks after the effective date of CBP's final rule on continuing education for customs brokers, which requires brokers to complete 36 hours of continuing education every three years beginning in February (see 2306220036). She noted that accreditors will have to make CBP aware of the fees they charge.
"If somebody comes to us and says it's going to take us three weeks to accredit a course and it's going to cost $300," that would raise questions "with CBP reviewers," Ryan said. "That seems like an awful long time to review something and a pretty hefty fee that a lot of people would not be able to pay," the special adviser said.