CBP seized more than 200 counterfeit purses and about 50 packages of plastic building blocks at the Port of Houston, said CBP in a press release. The goods, originating from China, were manifested as bags, plastic toys and jewelry, but further inspection revealed counterfeit Prada, Christian Dior, Michael Kors handbags and cartons of plastic building blocks branded as Lego, it said. The goods, if real, would have an estimated manufacturer suggested retail price of over $500,000.
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Oct. 4 with 64 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 183,984. The most recent ruling is dated 10/02/14.
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CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
The CBP User Fee Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Oct. 22 from 1-3 p.m., the agency said in a notice. The meeting will include discussion of work by two subcommittees that were established last month (see 14090217), it said. The Financial Assessment and Options Subcommittee will be responsible for providing CBP an "overview of current worldwide user fees being paid by industry, mapping how industry collects and transmits user fees," it said. It will also discuss initiating a third party study that would improve the committee and CBP's understanding of budget, costs, and funding sources, said CBP. "The Processes Subcommittee will be responsible for developing advice that would enhance CBP operational efficiencies," the notice said.
CBP posted a set of frequently asked questions for the planned Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program for exporters, called C-TPAT Exporter Entity. The agency is in the process of updating the automated system to allow applications for the program, it said. While C-TPAT importers that can now receive export benefits with Japan and European Union due to mutual recognition arrangements, this program "is being launched to enable 'export only' businesses to enjoy C-TPAT benefits as well," it said. CBP recently posted a list of exporter eligibility requirements for participation in C-TPAT (see 14070921).
CBP will take up an Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) recommendation hoped to simplify and improve intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement for the express consignment industry, the agency said in a document posted for the Oct. 7 meeting (here). CBP will provide a "proof of concept" to the UPS Louisville Port on Oct. 6, it said. "Through this process, CBP will offer the importer and U.S. ultimate consignee an abandonment option on detention notices for shipments detained by CBP on suspicion of trademark or copyright violations," said CBP's report on the IPR working group. "This change is expected to have a significant, yet positive impact on resources, as the express environment now accounts for more than half of all intellectual property rights seizures."
CBP enforcement procedure for Importer Security Filing continues to solidify as a number of major ports have outlined their positions for dealing with ISF violators, said Craig Clark, who manages the ISF program at CBP, during an Oct. 1 webinar. CBP headquarters revised its take on ISF enforcement in May, advising the ports to focus on the more egregious ISF violators (see 14052106) and "significantly late" filing. While CBP left the definition of what is significantly late "intentionally fuzzy" to allow the ports to develop their own definition to reflect differences at the port level, it's safe to consider significantly late as "having provided that ISF at such a time that you negatively impacted CBP's ability to target that cargo," he said.
The Federal Maritime Commission will post Ocean Transportation Intermediaries licensing information only online and not in the Federal Register as of Oct. 20, the agency said. A recently amended rule allows for the change, said the FMC. Through Oct. 17, the agency will be posting the OTI information on the new site (here) and in the Federal Register, it said. The site will include information on license applications, revocations, suspensions, surrenders, reissuances, and rescissions of revocations, the FMC said.
The International Trade Commission added an on-line tool to help research Section 337 investigations, the agency said Sept. 30. The site, called 337Info (here), includes information on allegations, parties and products involved, ITC staff assigned and remedial orders, among other things. The site brings together information that was spread across the entire ITC website and gives the ability to search and track investigations, said the ITC. The 337Info site, which includes information on investigations started on or after Oct. 1, 2008, is not meant to be a document repository, the agency said. It will "not replace current procedures related to the release of information on target dates" and administrative law judge "initial determinations will continue to be posted in the Press Room section of the USITC website on the date of release," said the ITC.