The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated an antidumping (AD) duty changed circumstances review of automotive replacement glass windshields from China to determine whether Shenzhen CSG Automotive Glass Co, Ltd. (Shenzhen CSG) is the successor-in-interest to Shenzhen Benxun AutoGlass Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Benxun) for purposes of determining AD duty liability.
CAFC reverses CIT & rules that certain hardwood flooring is plywood.In Boen Hardwood Flooring, Inc. v. U.S., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled that certain hardwood flooring, which consists of laminated floor panels that are composed of three layers, is classifiable under HTS 4412.29 as other plywood.
On March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1047, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003."
APHIS Reopens Comment Period for Proposed Rule to Create a BSE Minimal Risk Category for Canada, Etc
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reopened until April 7, 2004, the comment period for a proposed rule to amend its regulations regarding the importation of animals and animal products to recognize, and add Canada to, a category of regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the U.S. via live ruminants and ruminant products.
On February 12, 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued its first version of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has posted to its Web site a notice detailing its next upcoming informational seminars entitled, Navigating the Regulations, which will be held in St. Louis, MO and Des Plaines, IL on April 6 & 8, 2004, respectively. The FMC states that these seminars provide an overview of the responsibilities of vessel operators, ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs) and maritime shipping services users in U.S. foreign trades.
Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. The following have been issued since BP's most recent update:
According to government sources and the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is planning to detain certain knit-to-shape garments claiming a country of origin other than China, whose entry package claims their panels were knit-to-shape in a country other than China, and then sent to China to be linked and looped.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that on December 23, 2003, the U.S. requested World Trade Organization (WTO) consultations with Egypt regarding the import duties that Egypt applies to textile and apparel products. The USTR believes that the duties Egypt actually applies (on a "per article" basis) greatly exceed the ad valorem bound rates that Egypt agreed to apply in the Uruguay Round of WTO negotiations.
On November 11, 2003, President Bush signed into law the "Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003" (Public Law (P.L.) 108-121) which, among other things, extended the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF, both formal and informal) and the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) user fees through March 1, 2005.