Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Aug. 23 with 346 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 173,742. The most recent ruling is dated 8/21/2012.
CBP issued its Aug. 29 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 36), which contains 5 notices of the following ruling actions:
CBP will allow members of military reserves to sit for the Oct. 3 customs exam, allowing such members as the sole exception to a prohibition on government employees taking the test. The exception may only be temporary as it considers a finalized policy, said CBP. The new exception is likely the result of a lawsuit brought against the agency and settled earlier this year. Federal customs regulations bar officers or employees of the U.S. Government from being licensed as customs brokers or sitting for the exam.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP posted an Aug. 27 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 South Florida National Targeting and Analysis Group and CBP Southwest Regional Science Center’s mobile laboratory unit teamed up with officials at the Port of Laredo to target suspect shipments of steel pipe and tubing for examination, conduct field tests, and collect samples for further analysis, the agency said in a press release. Such imports are being sold in the United States at artificially low prices that threaten domestic industry’s ability to sell locally produced steel pipe and tubing at a competitive price, it said.
Several ports in the Gulf Coast area have been shut down as a result of a Tropical Storm in the region. The following ports have been fully or partially closed closed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Alerts on ports affected by the storm are available (here).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP will host a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) seminar in El Paso, Texas for importers, manufacturers, carriers and other interested trade partners.
CBP issued a notice providing information regarding its four drawback center locations (Chicago, Houston, New York/Newark, and San Francisco). CBP's notice lists each center and provides contact information for each one.