Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
American Shipper states that the Trade Support Network has convinced U.S. Customs and Border Protection to implement ACE ESAR A2 filer-by-filer over a period of time (e.g. 6-8 weeks), instead of flipping a switch to a new process for all customs entry filers, or phasing the system in port-by-port. This will give filers time to test the stability of their systems, prevent undue disruption, etc. In addition, CBP officials state that the target implementation date of ESAR A2 has changed from October 2008 to 2009 or beyond; however, some applications within the module could be implemented sooner. (American Shipper, 08/07/07, www.americanshipper.com )
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1. CBP Now Plans to Implement ESAR A2 in 2009 or Later, and Filer-by-Filer
2. Helpful Hints on Transmitting a Successful e-Manifest to CBP
The ACE Transition Forum Web site, a private forum run by volunteer members of the trade community, has provided helpful hints on transmitting a successful electronic manifest (e-Manifest) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Among other things, the document provides information regarding what to check if something goes wrong with the transmission of an e-Manifest, and what to do after a successful transmission. (Hints, dated 07/11/07, available at http://www.acetransition.net/images/E-Manifest_Helpful_Hints.doc)
3. China Threatens to Liquidate U.S. Bonds If U.S. Forces Yuan Revaluation
The Telegraph reports that China has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the U.S., hinting that it may liquidate its vast holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds, estimated at more than $900 billion, if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation. (Telegraph, dated 08/09/07, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/08/cnchina108.xml)
4. US Ban on UK Pigs/ Products Due to FMD Took Effect Aug. 3rd; EU, China Also Implement a Ban
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a statement that effective August 3, 2007, the U.S. has placed restrictions or prohibitions, depending on the type of product and level of processing, on all UK products derived from any foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) susceptible species. The ban effectively added live pigs, swine meat and swine by-products from the UK to the already existent ban on cattle, sheep, goats and their meat and their by-products from the UK due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The New York Times and CNN report that the European Union has banned British livestock and meat until August 25, and that China has also joined the list of countries to ban the UK's livestock and by-products. (APHIS statement, dated 08/03/07, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2007/08/fmdstatement.shtml;
NY Times, dated 08/10/07, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/world/europe/10britain.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print; and CNN, dated 08/08/07, available at http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/08/08/uk.footandmouth.ap/index.html)
5. U.S.-Antigua Online Gambling Dispute May Legitimize Loophole in WTO
Business Week reports that the almost unprecedented U.S. invocation of a World Trade Organization escape clause, which allows a country to modify or withdraw a commitment while providing compensatory adjustment to other affected countries, may have legitimized the use of a big loophole in the WTO. The U.S., which is in the process of rewriting its commitments to explicitly exclude online gambling, says it never envisioned online betting or even the World Wide Web when the trade agreement was signed in 1994. The U.S. launched formal arbitration proceedings with Antigua on July 24 and is engaged with bilateral talks with other nations claiming to be affected by the U.S. move. (Business Week, dated 08/13/07, available at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_33/b4046041.htm?chan=search)
6. Foreign-Trade Zones Board Actions
The FTZB has issued the following notice of recent FTZ actions:
Code Legend according to releases: D - Distributor, I - Importer, M - Manufacturer, N/A - Not Applicable, R - Retailer, W - Wholesaler, A - Agent. |