CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of Aug. 6. 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 is requesting comments by Oct. 9 for an existing information collection on petroleum refineries in foreign trade sub-zones. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. The notice ran in the Federal Register Aug. 8.
CBP is requesting comments by Oct. 9 for an existing information collection concerning CBP protest forms. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. The notice ran in the Federal Register Aug. 8.
CBP posted a new ocean conveyance user guide in preparation for the Sept. 29 cutoff of ACS/AMS, after which the Automated Commercial Environment will be the only electronic interface available for filing advance manifest information, said CBP in a CSMS message (here). The user guide contains step-by-step instructions for creating, viewing and maintaining ocean conveyance records in ACE and ocean carriers should familiarize themselves with the process, said the CBP. After September 29, 2012 ocean carriers should be using the ACE Portal functionality to add all new conveyance records and to edit any that are under their ACE account. CBP said for now, carriers should continue to send their Lloyds email requests to ams.sea.lloyds@dhs.gov when it is known that the vessel is not on file with CBP or if any of the following information changes: Name, Owner, Flag or Registry, Draft and Tonnage (Gross/Net).
CBP moved the East Coast Trade Symposium from Sept. 27-28 to Oct. 29-30 to maximize participation, it said. Registration for the conference is expected to open during the week of August 13. There will be a limit of three representatives per company to enable a wide variety of companies to participate, said CBP.
Gibson Guitar and the Department of Justice (DOJ) settled a contentious dispute over allegations of Lacey Act violations related to the purchase of wood from Madagascar and India, both sides said Aug. 6. Gibson agreed to pay penalties, withdraw claims against wood seized as part of the government's investigation and improve compliance efforts, while the government agreed to defer prosecution, according to the agreement.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said its redesigned Website is giving users a chance to preview and provide feedback before the site is officially launched within the next two weeks. A link to the preview is (here).
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) hopes to progress legislative efforts in September on granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to Russia, he said in a statement. The House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have approved similar legislation to give PNTR to Russia. "Upon our return from the August constituent work period, the House is prepared to take up under suspension of the rules a bill to extend [PNTR] to Russia, combined with the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, should the Senate and President commit to support passage before the end of September."
The Senate Aug. 3 approved Meredith Broadbent's nomination as a commissioner in the International Trade Commission. Broadbent is a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has been a Trade Advisor at the Global Business Dialogue, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications, and a senior professional staff member for the House Ways and Means Committee. (See ITT's Online Archives 11110733 for summary of the nomination.)
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues: