The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for July 5:
The City of San Jose, Calif., applied to expand the area served by Foreign-Trade Zone 18, according to an FTZ Board notice set for publication in the July 8 Federal Register. The zone currently covers the city of San Jose. Under the expansion, it would cover all of Santa Clara County, the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County, and the cities of Fremont, Hayward, Newark, and Union City in Alameda County. If approved, the zone’s grantee would be able to serve sites throughout the expanded service area based on companies’ needs for FTZ designation, said the FTZB. Comments are due by Sept. 6.
The State Department loosened International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controls on export of firearms and components to Canada. Exports of firearms and components with a wholesale value of under $500 for use by the Canadian government will be allowed without a license, said the State Department. Exports of some components of firearms valued at under $500 to Canada will also be allowed without a license, even if not destined for the government, as long as the export is for Canadian end use, it said. The ITAR changes bring the regulations in line with provisions of a 2012 law that prohibits license requirements on such exports. The amendments are effective July 8.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website July 3, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
The Southern California U.S. District Court sentenced on July 1 former customs broker Gerardo Chavez to 37 months imprisonment, according to a press release issued by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. The 42-year-old former head of the San Diego Customs Brokers Association pleaded guilty in November 2012 to charges of conspiracy to evade at least $18 million in duties.
UTi Worldwide named Ditlev Blicher president-Asia Pacific, effective July 8. Blicher was most recently executive vice president-Group Operations for CEVA Logistics.
International Trade Today won't be published on Thursday, July 4, due to the federal Independence Day holiday. Our next issue will be Friday, July 5.
The Mexican Secretary of Economy published a clarification on the countervailing duty order on liquid caustic soda from the U.S. in the July 3 Diario Oficial. While the order only applies to liquid caustic soda that enters under tariff number 2815.12.01 of the Mexican tariff schedule, the reference price used to determine payment of CV duties is derived from the price of caustic soda in its dry form or at 100 percent concentration, the notice said. So for the purposes of determining the amount and coverage of the CV duties on liquid caustic soda, the ex-works export price of the imported merchandise must be considered, in U.S. dollars, per metric ton in dry state or at 100 percent concentration, it said. If the export price is higher than the CV duty order’s applicable reference prices, then the exports aren’t subject to CV duties, the notice said.
The International Trade Commission posted its revised version of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule July 2, reflecting Generalized System of Preferences and other changes from proclamation 8997 (see 13070202), as well as technical amendments and new statistical suffixes for several subheadings. HTS 2013 Revision 1 also implements the U.S. Trade Representative’s March determination that Cote d’Ivoire qualifies for African Growth and Opportunity Act textile and apparel benefits (see 13031821). Most of the changes (here) are effective July 1.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the July 3 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):