The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has announced that, effective February 2, 2004, a new security system went into place for its office. According to the announcement, in order to gain access to the 9th and 10th floors of the FMC's building, visitors must check in with the building security force and have one of the guards call the office or employee the visitor wishes to see. Visitors will be required to have an appropriate escort to gain access to the 9th and 10th floors of the building. See FMC announcement for further details. (FMC announcement available at http://www.fmc.gov/New%20Security%20Notice.htm)

ITA sources state that it has been determined that CV export subsidies exist. As a result, the antidumping (AD) rates given in the companion AD duty investigation are expected to be reduced. Sources add that these new AD rates have not yet been determined. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/29/04 news, 04012945 for BP summary of the AD duty orders on subject merchandise from India (companion investigation) and four other countries.) BP will update subscribers when new information becomes available.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated an antidumping (AD) duty investigation on outboard engines from Japan.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a general notice announcing that it is accepting applications to establish Truck Carrier Accounts for a National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test for the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

On October 27, 2003, the State Department published a final rule that amended the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to indicate that exporters that are required to report shippers export information for U.S. Munitions List (USML) hardware must use the Automated Export System (AES).

and Establishment of ACE Broker Accounts

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its weekly quota commodity report as of January 26, 2004. This report includes tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on various products such as beef, tuna, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cocoa powder, tobacco, certain Jordan Free Trade Agreement (JFTA), Chile Free Trade Agreement (UCFTA), and Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA) TRQs, etc. This report also includes TRQs on certain HTS Chapter 52 cotton, upland cotton under HTS Chapter 99, the UCFTA, SFTA, CBTPA, AGOA, ATPDEA, and NAFTA tariff preference levels (TPLs) for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics under HTS 9902.51.11 & 9902.51.12, etc. (CBP's weekly quota commodity report, dated 01/26/04, available at http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping (AD) duty determination that floor-standing, metal-top ironing tables and certain parts thereof from China are being sold, or are likely to be sold, in the U.S. at less than fair value.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued its 2003 Management Discussion and Analysis report covering fiscal year (FY) 2003 audited financial statements. The FMC states that this is the first-ever FMC report of this nature.

The State Department has issued a notice announcing that on February 4, 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia changed its name to "Serbia and Montenegro."