CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of Nov. 13. 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.
A new registration is required for CBP's recently rescheduled East Coast Trade Symposium, even for those who registered previously for the event, said a CBP spokesman. The symposium, now scheduled for Nov. 27-28, will be at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, rather than the Renaissance DC Downtown Hotel location.
In the Nov. 7 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 46), CBP published two notices of modification of rulings and treatment regarding the tariff classification of bearings and tumbled diamonds .
CBP issued a notice that it is has created a new web page for information on the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (PATPA), that is effective for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption beginning Oct. 31, 2012. The web page currently has links to (i) CBP's implementation instructions and data elements, (ii) the text of the agreement on USTR's website, (iii) the 2012 HTS (Rev 1), with General Note 35, (iv) the ITC report containing the detailed Annexes, (v) the Presidential Proclamation (vi) the PATPA Implementation Act passed by Congress and signed into law by the President and (vii) sugar quota. CBP notes interim regulations will be posted when they become available.
CBP won't conduct a drawback compliance measurement for FY 2013 and instead "will be doing desk reviews," the CBP spokesman said. CBP performed a drawback compliance measurement test for FY 2012 following in response to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General annual financial statements audits that found drawback as a material weakness for CBP internal controls over financial reporting.
The September transition to Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) M1 for rail and sea has "highlighted a necessary policy change that CBP has implemented to gain greater control over in-bond shipments," said CBP in its October ACEopedia. The agency will now require the arrival of the full shipment before a subsequent in-bond movement, the agency said. The change is a result of a three programming edits related to the transition from AMS to ACE and were meant to better track in-bond movements, CBP said in a recent set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs.)
The House Rules Committee scheduled a Nov. 13 hearing on legislation that would grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR). The bill (HR-6156) would repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which limits U.S. trade with communist countries. The bill being considered by the Rules Committee also includes the so-called Magnitsky rule, which calls for repercussions for Russian leaders thought to be involved in the death of a Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. The Magnitsky language was a sticking point for several lawmakers involved with the PNTR bill.
The Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will soon be using manifest hold functionality in the Cargo Release Entry System to accommodate ACE eManifest: Sea and Rail, said CBP in a CSMS message.
CBP said in a CSMS message Air AMS processing of split house shipment in-bond transfer detail was fixed to accept the unique in-bond control number received with transfer detail associated to subsequent split house part arrival flight identification.
In the Nov. 7 issue of the CBP Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 46), CBP published a notice proposing to revoke rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of screwdrivers and valve cable supports.