Between Feb. 28 and July, paper filing for Partner Government Agencies is allowed if PGA message set and the Document Image System are unavailable, said CBP in a CSMS message. All cargo release and entry summary transactions must be filed in the Automated Commercial Environment as of Feb. 28, though "filers may now begin submitting all cargo release transactions including these PGA requirements to ACE for CBP to review," it said. Between Feb. 28 and July, after which filing for a number of agencies will be required within ACE, PGA message set pilot participants may submit within the PGA message set, said. Filers may also file documents through DIS, said CBP. "If PGA message set and DIS are unavailable, the paper document may be submitted to the port office for review" and "a cover letter should be provided that includes the entry number, a point of contact, and phone number," said CBP.

CBP adopted the interim regulatory changes for the customs provisions within the U.S.-Australia Free Tree Agreement with one small change, the agency said in a final rule (here). The final rule will take effect Feb. 16. Though the agreement entered into force in 2005, the agency published interim implementing regulations last year (see 1502090007). The final rule includes a small clarifying change that removes a cross reference, said CBP. AUFTA was implemented in the HTS by Presidential Proclamation 7857 of Dec. 20, 2004, effective for goods of Australia entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after Jan. 1, 2005 (see 05010315).

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Jan. 12, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at http://adcvd.cbp.dhs.gov/adcvdweb.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:

CBP is requesting comments by Feb. 12 on an existing information collection for certificates of registration. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection without a change to the burden hours or information collected.

CBP is requesting comments by March 14 on an existing information collection for administrative rulings. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection without a change to the burden hours or information collected.

CBP is relocating the National Commodity Specialist Division, the agency said in a notice (here). "Until the relocation process is complete, a temporary mailing location has been established and all correspondence to the NCSD should be sent to the following address: Director, National Commodity Specialist Division, Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, 1100 Raymond Boulevard, Newark, New Jersey 07102," said CBP. "E-rulings procedures will remain the same and will not be affected by the temporary change in office location," said CBP.

CBP's Assistant Commissioner for the Office of International Affairs Charles Stallworth recently retired, said CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske during the Jan. 13 Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection meeting. Mark Koumans, deputy assistant secretary for international affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, will handle Stallworth's work for the near future, said Kerlikowske. CBP also recently removed "acting" from Debbie Augustin's title, meaning she's now Executive Director of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) business office, said Kerlikowske.

CBP said it created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1601 on Jan. 12, containing 808 ABI records and 169 harmonized tariff records. The update includes changes made by the Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, said CBP (here). Adjustments required for the verification of the 2016 Harmonized Tariff Schedule are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.

The pre-inspection pilot for agricultural goods entering the U.S. from Mexico began Jan. 12, with CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske there to kick off the program, said CBP (here). Mexican Secretary of Finance and Public Credit Luis Videgaray joined Kerlikowske in Mesa de Otay, Tijuana, Mexico for the inaugural event. CBP officers and agriculture specialists will "pre-inspect certain U.S-bound agricultural shipments alongside Mexican Customs officers at the Mesa de Otay facility," said the agency. "The shipments that will be pre-inspected are low-risk, high volume agricultural commodities that are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agriculture Release Program," it said.