According to The Journal of Commerce, the Director for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) states that the biggest problem with prior notice of imported food is importers' accurate reporting of the manufacturers' registration, adding that importers are doing it correctly only 16% of the time. The article states this is why the FDA is giving an additional 10 weeks of grace. (JOC, August 23, 2004)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are seeking comments by October 18, 2004 on the need for enhanced security requirements for the rail transportation of hazardous materials (hazmats) that pose a toxic inhalation hazard (TIH).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message regarding the following QP/WP in-bond processing changes:

The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued its preliminary results of the following antidumping (AD) duty administrative reviews for the period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an updated version of its guidance document entitled, Prior Notice for Food Articles Step-by-Step Web System Instructions for PNSI Version 1.4.

In the August 18, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBPBulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 34), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke nine classification rulings on truck engine cooling fan clutches, and (b) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on calibration lamps. CBP states that it is also proposing to revoke any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of August 18, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), which are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 08/18/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a fact sheet on steps that it has taken to increase security across U.S. borders during the "period of increased risk" leading up to the presidential election.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has scheduled the next Customs Broker License Examination for Monday, October 4, 2004.