CBP issued a final rule, effective March 5, to amend CBP regulations to reflect the imposition of import restrictions on certain archaeological and ethnological material from Belize. These restrictions are being imposed in accordance with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The final rule adds Belize to the list of countries for which a bilateral agreement has been entered into for imposing cultural property import restrictions. It also contains the designated list that describes the types of archaeological and ethnological articles to which the restrictions apply.

CBP will now handle the background checks of bonded facility employees, previously performed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, CBP said in a CSMS message. CBP will use the Trusted Worker Module and Global Enrollment System for the vetting, allowing a "more informed decision in approving an application," said CBP. CBP will be requiring background information to be submitted from facility officers, principals and those individuals with access to facility recordkeeping, the agency said. The information submitted will be done on a one-time only basis and submission of fingerprints will be done on an as-needed basis.

CBP released the "Statement of Work" documents for Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) subcommittees. The 13th term COAC will meet for the first time in Washington, D.C. March 6:

CBP should consider a U.S. seller an exporter if the sale is an export, regardless of who arranges the export transportation, said Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., in comments to the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) export subcommittee. CBP has previously cited that definition in its administrative rulings, said Grimm.

CBP posted a table providing information on whether the Merchandise Processing Fee is paid, or exempt from payment, for goods entered under free trade agreements or trade preference programs.

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

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website Feb. 28, 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 addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)

CBP posted the monthly Trade Support Network (TSN) committee reports for October through December. Among other things, the TSN is working on a "White Paper" on Automated Commercial Environment entry recordkeeping, the December report said. The December 2012 report is (here). The October/November report is (here).

CBP posted updated documents providing overviews of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and its benefits for various industries. The updates are minimal.

In the Feb. 27 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 10), CBP published two notices that propose to revoke rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of aluminum powder and a compound made with 25 percent Bitrex, "the bitterest compound known."