The Airforwarders Associations announced the results of its board of directors election. The 2013-2016 board will include: Chris Connell, President, Commodity Forwarders (Incumbent); Keith Davis, President, Sterling Transportation; Richard Fisher, President, Falcon Global Edge (Incumbent); Sandy Gregory, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Security, AIT; Michelle Halkerston, President, Hassett Air Express; Robert Mauro, President, Team Worldwide; Daniel Stegemoller, Senior Vice President and CEO, Radiant Global Logistics (Incumbent); Michelle Wilkinson, CEO, Tailwind International.
Congressional members heavily involved in international trade matters were largely victorious in the 2012 elections. House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Mich.), both won reelection, as did Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) also both won. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) were reelected, as was Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Ranking Member House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, also won reelection.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP updated its cargo diversion instructions to include "brokers as part of the group who will not receive penalties due to diverted cargo" related to Hurricane Sandy. said CBP in a CSMS message. Filers that will be temporarily conducting business in Norfolk, Baltimore, or Philadelphia, and that are not currently permitted in that port, may obtain a temporary local permit by contacting the Broker Management Officer at the port. The required fee will be waived, said CBP.
CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of Nov. 5. 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.
CBP posted a Nov. 5 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP also posted a version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.
CBP issued a memo regarding the recently established tariff rate quotas for certain sugar and sugar containing products from Panama under the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. (See ITT's Online Archives 12102505, for summary of the USTR announcement regarding the sugar TRQ.)
CBP issued a CSMS message announcing the issuance of Harmonized System Update 1209 on changes to the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This update contains 23,570 ABI records and 120,404 harmonized tariff records. The changes were made to implement the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Act and for other reasons. The modified records are currently available to all ABI participants and can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Contact Jennifer Keeling via email at Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov for all other questions.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) filers are able to transmit entry summaries certified for cargo release for Entry Type 03 (AD/CVD) using Remote Location Filing (RLF), said CBP in a CSMS reminder. RLF 03 filing is not yet available in the Automated Commercial System (ACS), said CBP.