CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of July 8. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, and tobacco; and certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, OFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, OFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying textile articles and/or other articles; the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc.
In the July 3 issue of the CBP Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 28), CBP published two notices that propose to modify rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of child bicycle seats and wine bottle bags.
CBP is correcting its regulations to add a sentence about the timing of the customs broker exam, it said in a notice. CBP is adding the following sentence to 19 CFR Section 111.13(b): "Written examinations will be given on the first Monday in April and October unless the regularly scheduled examination date conflicts with a national holiday, religious observance, or other foreseeable event and the agency publishes in the FEDERAL REGISTER an appropriate notice of a change in the examination date."
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 1-5 in case they were missed.
The European Commission wants to make it easier for sea shippers to clear customs, it said in a July 8 document, “Blue Belt: A Single Transport Area for Shipping.” Freight forwarders and exporters complain that sending goods across Europe by short sea shipping involves potentially waiting for hours or days in ports for customs clearance, the EC said. That red tape makes the maritime sector less attractive than other transport forms, particularly roads, bringing more trucks onto already congested highways, it said.
A U.S. district court rightfully dismissed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic Republic of the Congo for breach of contract because it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction, said the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a July 2 opinion. Triple A International had sued the Congo in 2010 after the company did not receive some $14 million for military equipment sold to country's predecessor, Zaire. The district court ruled against Triple A, saying the Congo had sovereign immunity.
In the July 3 issue of the CBP Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 28), CBP published two notices that propose to modify rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of quinoa seeds and D-Lysine, a type of amino acid.
The National Customs Broker and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) came to the defense of the customs broker industry following the recent sentencing of a president of the San Diego Customs Brokers Association for evading customs duties for importers (see 13070525). "While it is unfortunate that Mr. Chavez was the president of the San Diego Customs Brokers Association, that fact is certainly not an indictment on the other good, hardworking firms who are members of that association or the industry as a whole," said NCBFAA President Darrell Sekin in a statement. "It is a profession that works closely with Customs and Border Protection and other U.S. agencies on an ongoing basis to help insure that goods entering the commerce of the United States meet the letter of U.S. law. Customs brokers throughout the U.S. help to guide importers through the many intricacies involved in importing including issues involving intellectual property rights, antidumping, marking, Food and Drug Administration requirements, and the regulations of many other government agencies. We support the removal of bad actors from the international trade community, whether they be customs brokers, customs officials, or any others who would seek to illegally introduce articles into the commerce of the United States.”
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CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues: