U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the regular ACE Maintenance Window (Saturday 2300 EDT - Sunday 0500 EDT) was to be extended on Sunday, April 1, 2012. The extended window was scheduled from 0500 EDT - 0930 EDT. CBP also said the March 31, 2012 maintenance window scheduled for 23:00 EDT (11pm) began earlier at 22:15 EDT (10:15pm).
Tim Warren
Timothy Warren, Executive Managing Editor, Communications Daily. He previously led the International Trade Today editorial team from the time it was purchased by Warren Communications News in 2012 through the launch of Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. Tim is a 2005 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released details on the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Pilot Strategic Plan. The document describes the multi-phased approach for implementation that is expected to take about 28 months. The six phases are:
The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) urged the Agriculture Department to increase the tariff rate quota (TRQ) for sugar soon, noting that the first day the USDA can make such changes was April 1. The March 28, 2012, letter from SUA to Michael Scuse, acting under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the USDA, said the U.S. market needs additional supplies of sugar and a TRQ increase is the only way to provide supplies at reasonable prices. The USDA must consider a disappointing season of Mexican production and imports as well as strong demand for sugar in the U.S., it said. While helpful and appropriate, a TRQ reallocation alone would be insufficient to deal with the supply problems and to mini maze shortfalls the USDA shouldn't lowball its TRQ increase, the SUA said. One market analyst said additional imports of 728,000-961,000 short tons, raw value, will be necessary, said the SUA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an update to frequently asked questions on the filing of electronic export information (EEI) via the Automated Export System (AES).
On March 30, 2012, the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee announced the commencement of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) process. Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA) said any members wishing to introduce an MTB must do so by April 30, 2012. Any MTB bill must be non-controversial and any duty suspension must amount to less than $500,000 in annual lost revenue, said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site as of March 29, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted the April 2012 Change Log for the Customs Automated Manifest Interface Requirements (CAMIR) and 309 Customs Manifest.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will be observing the Cesar Chavez holiday and all berths at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will be closed on April 2, 2012. CBP offices will be open. CBP later clarified that there will be terminals open in the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex on April 2. Interested parties should contact the individual terminal to determine if cargo operations will take place at that terminal on April 2.
President Barack Obama signed HR-4281, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, on March 30, 2012, which gives a three-month extension to surface transportation programs. Funding for transportation programs would have stopped as of March 31, 2012, without an extension. President Obama's office had voiced frustration over the passage of a stop-gap rather than a longer-term transportation bill that the Senate had already passed. It's not enough to use short-term band-aids to deal with America's infrastructure future, the President's office said. Rep. John Mica (R-Fl), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and sponsor of the legislation, said the extension was necessary to keep transportation projects moving while lawmakers move toward legislation that reduces the size of government, streamlines the project approval process and provides flexibility for states to fund their priorities.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site as of March 28, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.