CBP was mistaken when it said imports of wool blend coats entered at the Port of New York/Newark are ineligible for preferential treatment under the Dominican Republic -- Central America -- U.S. Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), the agency's headquarters said in a further review of protest. CBP took a closer look at the finishing operations of the wool coats in the April 1 ruling, HQ H250948. The importer had claimed DR-CAFTA eligibility because the coats were made of a fabric on the short supply list, but the port had said the coats didn't meet the short supply list's finishing requirements for the fabric -- rolling, vaporization, shearing, dyeing or fulling -- and were not eligible under DR-CAFTA. But on further review, CBP ruled that the fabrics had undergone the required finishing operations, so the coats are DR-CAFTA originating.
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The CBP Port of Detroit was correct when it liquidated entries of machinery parts under four separate tariff provisions rather than under the importer's preferred single classification, agency headquarters said in a March 31 ruling. CBP headquarters said it took up the further review of protest "because the decision against which the protest was filed is alleged to be inconsistent with a ruling of the Commissioner of CBP or his designee, or with a decision made at any port with respect to the same or substantially similar merchandise." The ruling, HQ H213695, is in response to a protest filed by Witzenmann, a metal parts company.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP released its June 25 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 48, No. 25). While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does include recent Court of International Trade decisions and general notices.
CBP will waive the fee for temporary permits at ports other than Long Beach and Los Angeles in the event of a port disruption related to an ongoing labor contract dispute, said CBP in an updated guidance. "Filers that will be temporarily conducting business outside of the Port of Long Beach or Los Angeles Seaport, and that are not currently permitted in that port, may obtain a temporary local permit by contacting the Broker Management Officer at the port" and "the required fee will be waived," the agency said. The update was added to CBP's recently released guidance that outlines a number of trade processing procedures that would go into effect if the contract dispute disrupts trade at West coast ports (see 14062423).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will continue to seek comments through July 24 on proposed rules changing fees for general agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) work (here) and overtime services (here) for APHIS and CBP personnel (see 14042321). APHIS will officially announce the comment period extension in a coming Federal Register notice, it said. The agency is proposing substantial fee increases for certain activities, and would for the first time require payment for treatment services. Comments were originally due June 24.
China, India, Russia and Switzerland’s "continuing problems" with copyright protections landed the nations on the newly renamed Congressional International Creativity and Theft-Prevention Caucus Watch List for 2014, said the caucus co-chairmen on Capitol Hill June 24. The Co-chairmen are Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The caucus, formerly known as the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus, changed its name because piracy “conveys an image of adventure,” but piracy is “downright theft,” said Goodlatte, who hinted at the name change earlier this year. Italy and the Philippines were highlighted in the report as “countries making progress” on copyright safeguards. The caucus highlighted a report (here) by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) on ad-supported online theft. Congress and stakeholders fighting piracy “need to be as organized” as the “criminals,” said DCA Executive Director Tom Galvin at the event.
A Texas Asian art appraiser pleaded guilty in federal court June 24 for his role in a rhino and ivory smuggling conspiracy, said a Justice Department press release. Ning Qiu, an antique appraiser for seven years, was identified through joint effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and DOJ. "Qiu admitted to acting as one of the three antique dealers in the United States paid by Zhifei Li, the admitted “boss” of the conspiracy," who was recently sentenced to 70 months in prison (see 14052820), said DOJ.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) should take a closer look into the "congestion surcharges" planned by ocean carriers if there's a labor contract disruption at the West Coast ports, said a number of industry groups in a letter to the FMC. While the letter voiced appreciation for the agency's recent advisory on the issue (see 14060214), they said the FMC should be able to provide more information to those affected by the surcharges. The groups also voiced their support for a recent National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America letter to the agency that also asked the FMC to step in on port disruption issues (see 14060613).