Colony Gums and Marine Hydrocolloids evaded an antidumping duty order on xanthan gum from China, CBP said in the final determination of an Enforce and Protect Act investigation. The agency said it found substantial evidence that the importers had transshipped Chinese-origin xanthan gum through India, necessitating the imposition of interim measures.
A "substantial volume" of apparel made with Uyghur forced labor is entering the EU without restriction, a new Sheffield Hallam University report said. The report, released Dec. 6, studied four Chinese suppliers and focused on how their products were getting into the EU. In all, 39 brands are "at high risk" for sourcing goods made with Uyghur forced labor, including Hugo Boss, Inditex and Skechers.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP has released its Dec. 6 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 57, No. 45), which includes the following ruling action:
The link for the ACE Biweekly Trade Call will change starting Dec. 7, CBP said. The announcement, in a CSMS message Dec. 5, said that the links and dates can be found on the ACE Support Page. The dates scheduled through February are: Dec. 7, Jan. 4, Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 15, and Feb. 29. The call originally scheduled for Dec. 21 has been canceled. The meeting password will be ACE1.
The Environmental Protection Agency hydrofluorocarbons code is expected to be deployed to the ACE production environment no earlier than Jan. 6, CBP said in a CSMS message Dec. 5, the same date the HFC code deployed in the ACE certification environment. Another CSMS message will be sent out to confirm the production deployment date, CBP said. EPA expects another update to the "EPA supplemental to the CATAIR based on input from the Trade community during CERT testing," CBP said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP hopes to deploy a "centralized website portal" by mid-2024 for importers to submit requests for exception, applicability, and admissibility reviews under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, and Withhold Release Orders, the agency said.
An importer can use a discounted price for transaction value as long as the discount was agreed to prior to the goods' importation, CBP said in a ruling posted last month. Allowing the importer's protest after an application for further review, CBP found that the unnamed electronic components distributor provided enough evidence to show the discounted price it claimed was the correct price based on the documents provided.
CBP will temporarily close its Office of Field Operations the Port of Entry at Lukeville, Arizona, the agency said Dec. 1, to "effectively manage resources and ensure uninterrupted flow of trade and travel." The closure to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic and shift are "necessary in order for CBP to respond to urgent safety and security needs presented by an influx of migrants at the southwest border and will be effective on Monday, December 4, 2023," CBP said.