CBP Administrative Messages, Electronic Bulletin Board Notices, Etc
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued two ABI administrative messages announcing that its most recent Harmonized System (HS) updates contain:
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1. Most Recent HS Updates Reflect AGOA III, Iraq's GSP Status, Extension of Israel Agricultural Product TRQs
Changes required by the verification of the 2004 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). (CBP notes that it will continue to verify the 2004 HTS for the remainder of the year);
Changes to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Other Government Agency (OGA) flags;
Changes mandated by Presidential Proclamation 7808 which included (a) designating Iraq as Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) beneficiary developing country; (b) removing GSP eligibility for HTS 8108.90.60 products from Russia; (c) modifying various AGOA sections in the HTS to provide for certain AGOA III provisions; and (d) modifying certain NAFTA Rules of Origin for automatic data processing machines, etc. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/10/04 news, 04091005, for BP summary of Proclamation 7808.)
Changes mandated by Presidential Proclamation 7826 which extended duty-free tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for certain agricultural products from Israel. (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/08/04 news, 04100810, for BP summary); and
- 5 staged rates from the International Trade Commission.
CBP states that updated records are currently available to all ABI participants and can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. (Adm: 04-2313, dated 10/27/04, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2004/2004-2313.ADM. Adm: 04-2314, dated 10/27/04, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2004/2004-2314.ADM.)
2. CBP Announces Completion of Diamond Certificate ACS Automation
CBP has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that the Automated Commercial System (ACS) has completed the system changes for the ABI transmission of the diamond certificate effective with the duty computation date of December 1, 2004.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/21/04 news, 04102110, for previous BP summary on the November 1, 2004 certificate number requirement for non-ABI summaries and the December 1, 2004 certificate number requirement for ABI summaries.) (Adm: 04-2312, dated 10/27/04, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2004/2004-2312.ADM.)
3. CBP Posts Fact Sheet on ACE Accomplishments and Projected Milestones
CBP has posted to its Web site a fact sheet which outlines the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) 2003/2004 accomplishments and ACE projected milestones for the 2004-2010 period, as of September 20, 2004. (Fact sheet, dated 09/20/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/about/modernization/ace_milestone.ctt/ace_milestones.pdf.)
4. CBP Posts Fact Sheet on its Cargo Container Inspection Practices
CBP has posted a fact sheet summarizing its cargo container inspection practices. In this fact sheet, CBP addresses the "5% Myth." (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/13/04 news, 04101335 2, for BP summary of CBP's similar October 7, 2004 fact sheet.) (Fact Sheet, dated 10/20/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/factsheet_container_security.xml.)
5. Textile and Apparel Quotas 85% or More Filled as of October 26, 2004
CBP has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of October 26, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) that are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 10/26/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)