CBP CSMS Messages and Web Postings (Includes Lacey Act Note)
CBP recently posted guidance on how it will enforce the Lacey Act Plant Product Declaration requirement for covered products beginning May 1, 2009. Among other things, the guidance provided information on a new pilot program for current participants in the Automated Line Release (ALR)/Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) program whose products require a Lacey Act declaration during the current phase of enforcement. CBP's instructions for the pilot covers ALR/BRASS shipments for June 2009; CBP did not provide (or did not clearly provide) instructions for ALR/BRASS participants entering covered products during the month of May.
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1. APHIS Official Says for the Month of May, APHIS Needs the Paper Lacey Declaration from ALR/BRASS Participants within a Few Days of Entry Summary Filing
For the month of May, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service officials state that they expect to receive the paper declarations within a few days of the entry summary being filed for the subject shipment. CBP sources stated that ALR/BRASS participants must file paper declarations for the month of May in order for the entry to be considered an ALR/BRASS entry. BP is checking with CBP for clarification regarding its statement and will update readers when new information is available.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/01/09 news, 09050105, for BP summary announcing the availability of the guidance document.)
2. Revised Entry Summary Status Notification ACE ABI CATAIR Chapter
CBP has posted a revised version of the Entry Summary Status Notification ACE ABI CATAIR chapter. The ACE ABI CATAIR Change Record was also updated to include the April 29, 2009 change to the chapter. CBP also issued a CSMS message announcing the availability of the revised chapter. (Revised chapter, dated 04/29/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace_edi_messages/catair_main/abi_catair/catair_chapters/entsum_notification.ctt/entsum_notification.doc)
3. CBP Posts CAMIR-Intermodal Amendment 19
CBP posted Amendment 19 to the Customs Automated Manifest Interface Requirements (CAMIR)-Intermodal. According to CBP, the CAMIR-Intermodal was amended as follows:
In-bond and Conveyance Departure/Arrival Message
Record Identifier H01 - Made edits in the "Time" data element description
Made edits to Error Code 131
(Amendment 19, dated April 2009, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/automated_systems/ams/camir_intermodal/changes/change_19.ctt/change_19.doc)
4. MPF and Trade Preference Programs/Free Trade Agreements Table
CBP has posted a table providing information on the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) for goods entered under trade preference programs (TPPs) or free trade agreements (FTAs). This list provides the TPP/FTA, the SPI, country/countries involved, indicates whether or not goods are exempt from the MPF, and citation and notes. (Table, posted 04/30/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/merchandise_pf_table.ctt/merchandise_pf_table.pdf)
5. Neche Port of Entry Remains Closed
CBP has issued a news release advising all travelers that the Neche, ND, port of entry remains closed to all traffic due to road conditions caused by spring flooding. Commercial and passenger traffic can continue to utilize alternate ports of entry into or out of the U.S. (News release, dated 04/30/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/04302009.xml)
6. Updated TRQ/TPL "Threshold to Fill" List
CBP has posted an updated version of its tariff rate quota/tariff preference level "threshold to fill" list, a quick reference to monitor TRQs and TPLs that are approaching the restraint limit or have filled the in-quota (low) rate. The list is divided into two sections - those that are at least 85% filled and those that are closed. (List, updated 04/30/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/trq_thresh_fill.ctt/trq_thresh_fill.pdf)
7. List of ABI Software Vendors
In response to trade community requests, CBP's Office of Information and Technology has assembled a list of companies/persons offering data processing services to the trade community for the Automated Broker Interface (ABI). (List, dated 04/30/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/automated_systems/abi/getting_started/vendor.ctt/vendor.doc)
8. ACE Trade Ambassador Spotlight: Don Huber
CBP has posted an ACE Ambassador Spotlight notice on Don Huber, the global customs manager for GE. (Spotlight, dated 04/30/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/whats_new/don_huber.xml)