Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated July 22 with 131 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 183,028. The most recent ruling is dated 07/18/14.
The CBP Port of San Francisco moved to adopt the recently revised agency position on Importer Security Filing (ISF) enforcement, the port said in an information notice. As a result, the port will move away from its use of holds of all non-compliant ISF shipments at the terminal, it said. CBP headquarters said in May it would shift its guidance on ISF enforcement in order to focus on the more serious violators, though the individual ports will continue to have discretion on enforcement (see 14052106).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration and ICE will sign a memorandum of understanding on July 22 to "establish a framework for the exchange of information and cooperation regarding the protection, recovery and restitution of cultural property," said ICE in a press release.
CBP scheduled the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) National Conference for Aug. 26-28 in San Antonio, the agency said on its website. The conference's theme will be “C-TPAT: Partnering in Supply Chain Security and Facilitation for the 21st Century,” it said. The event will include two sessions and participants may only take part in one of the sessions, it said. Topics scheduled for discussion include business partner relationships, security breaches and internal conspiracies, validation/revalidation results, C-TPAT membership maintenance and mutual recognition. Registration for Session A on Aug. 26-27 is (here) and registration for Session B on Aug. 27-28 is (here).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 14 - 18 in case they were missed.
CBP should require national customs broker permit holders to hire a certain number of licensed brokers in order to ensure responsible supervision and control when doing customs business, said the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) in a position paper. The paper describes the NCBFAA's various thoughts on how CBP should update customs broker regulations as it moves toward increased reliance on the national permit as part of the agency's modernization efforts. The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations for CBP recently advised the agency to also install some employment requirements in the regulations, but did not offer specific numbers (see 14052209).
CBP will close the Jamieson Line border crossing in upstate New York, it said in a final rule. CBP has said the border crossing is one of the least busy border crossings and the closure will have minimal impact on Burke, the town closest to the crossing. The final rule is effective Aug. 21.
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) members should be wary of use of non-compliant wood packing material (WPM), CBP said in a notice to C-TPAT members. Sea carriers should know of recent interceptions of non-compliant WPM "used in flat rack cargo carried by ocean vessels traversing the Mediterranean," it said. C-TPAT members should make sure supply chain partners use WPM that meet the International Plant Protection Convention standard, it said.
An importer that uses foreign engineering and design work may distribute the costs of that work across the company's imports for an entire year, said CBP in a June 19 ruling. The ruling, HQ H231836, came in response to a request from the undisclosed importer and its lawyer, Kathleen Murphy of Drinker Biddle. Due to some limitations in the company's knowledge of which imports make use of the engineering and design work, known as assists, the importer asked if it could be allowed to use a modified formula. While most of the company's imports are duty-free, assist costs are otherwise required to be included in transaction value for import purposes.