CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of July 23.
CBP announced the suspension of a Customs broker license and all associated permits pursuant to section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (19 USC 1641) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations (19 CFR 111.53). The 30-month suspension is effective July 23. A notice of suspension for broker's license below ran in the Federal Register July 25.
The International Trade Administration updated its FTA Tariff Tool to include textiles and apparel products classified within Chapters 39, 42, 50-65, 70, and 94 of the Harmonized System. The online tool allows users to see how U.S. and free trade agreement partner tariffs on individual products—searchable by keyword or tariff code—are treated under an FTA.
CBP will allow non-automated entities to release cargo based on screen printouts from importers and brokers in order to support the ongoing Simplified Entry (SE) pilot, CBP said in a July 24 CSMS message. The printout should have at a minimum the shipment ID and quantity being released, the type of release as well as clear identification of who presented the release information, said CBP.
The following are the trade-related hearings scheduled July 23-27:
A group of ten Senators said the U.S. shouldn't allow Japan to enter Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations due to the country's unfair automobile trade practices. The Senators wrote President Barack Obama in a July 17 letter, saying the "history of U.S.-Japanese trade relations gives us little confidence that American negotiators can achieve an agreement that would create a truly level playing field between the two countries in the short timeframe of TPP negotiations." As such "we believe it would be a mistake to invite Japan to join the TPP at this time," they said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted an updated version of its spreadsheet of ACE ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Types) programming issues.
CBP officers at the Rio Grande City, Texas, port of entry seized over 1,300 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $1,050,000 on July 19. The marijuana was found in a white utility trailer, which had arrived containing a manifested shipment of commercial limes. The shipment was referred to secondary for a thorough examination of conveyance and merchandise. CBP officers then discovered 244 packages of alleged marijuana weighing about 1,312 pounds, mixed in with the boxes containing the fresh limes. CBP seized the narcotics, trailer and the cartons of limes, it said.
CBP said it fixed a major Automated Commercial System (ACS) problem July 20. CBP found that ACS wasn't sending in-bond events to ACE M1, preventing ACE M1 pilot participants from clearing cargo in the port. CBP used an emergency deployment and the issue is now resolved, it said.