Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 24. The corresponding downloadable rulings are now available.
CBP issued its Feb. 26 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 48, No. 8), which contains the following ruling actions:
Dow Chemical may substitute the import of a chemical with a separate export of that chemical for drawback purposes, said CBP's Entry Process and Duty Refunds Branch in an Feb. 10 ruling recently released. CBP said it considered the imported and exported methyl acrylate commercially interchangeable and eligible for unused merchandise drawback. Specifically, CBP found the chemicals met the criteria for being interchangeable under the drawback statute, 19 U.S.C. Section 1313(j)(2).
The Labor Department is considering cutting back on an import/export price tracking measure in order to reduce expenses, the Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 24. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases monthly data on import and export prices, some of which may be scaled back due to budgetary constraints, the report said. The Labor Department did not return a request for comment.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP posted instructions for Congressional members passing along constituent issues. The guide is (here).
The Agricultural Marketing Service requested that CBP collect a raspberry fee for certain tariff numbers, said CBP in a CSMS message. CBP will use the class code of 057 to collect the raspberry fee, it said. The tariff numbers and associated fee rates are:
CBP added 14 airports to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Cargo Release pilot program, the agency said in a CSMS notice listing the new airports. CBP recently said it was expanding the pilot program to include other modes of transportation beside air (see 14013112). The additional airports are:
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 24 with 84 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 180,805. The most recent ruling is dated 02/21/14.
A working group in the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) will shift its focus to other intellectual property rights protection methods, including through trusted trader benefits, after recommending on Feb. 20 that the agency put the Distribution Chain Management (DCM) initiative on hold. The IPR working group will subsequently put more focus on a new tack, looking toward use of the Document Image System (DIS), trusted trader benefits and collaboration with the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), said Karen Kenney, chief operating officer-Liberty International.