U.S. Customs and Border Protection states it has improved the C-TPAT Portal Status Verification Interface (SVI) so that it notifies all contacts associated with a Partner Account SVI monitoring page if certain changes have occurred, including (1) a company drops off the list (they generate a new SVI number), (2) a company status changes to a Non-Certified state, or (3) a company status changes to a Certified state.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its listing of adjacent islands in relation to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa, if certain requirements are met. Under the VWP, time spent in Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands counts towards the maximum of 90 days stay allowed under the program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that CBP agents at the Sarita Checkpoint in Texas seized more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana hidden in a tractor-trailer load of broccoli. A man attempted to drive the tractor-trailer through the Checkpoint, but canines detected the contraband during the primary inspection. The marijuana has an estimated value of nearly $8.2 million.

On August 11, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered more than 18 pounds of cocaine concealed in the cargo hold of a commercial airplane that arrived on August 3 at Washington Dulles International Airport. Officers discovered seven taped packages behind a cargo hold panel of an Avianca Airlines flight from Bogota, Colombia. The cocaine has a street value of about $580,000. Federal authorities continue investigating.

On August 16, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection entered into an agreement to send CBP investigative personnel to work with the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General as part of coordinated efforts to detect and deter corruption and serious misconduct involving CBP personnel. CBP Commissioner Bersin stated that the agreement will facilitate more aggressive investigative action in the pursuit of violators and will also increase the ability to more quickly resolve unmeritorious allegations lodged against CBP personnel.

This summary report highlights the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels¹ from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” The report also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”

The World Customs Organization has posted a list of classification decisions (other than those subject to a reservation) taken by the Harmonized System Committee at its 47th Session (March 2011). At this session, decisions were taken on a powdered hot beverage, various categories of generic name pharmaceutical substances or ingredients, cartridges for electronic cigarettes, and a motor vehicle electrical assembly.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that it is hosting a series of free webinars to provide more timely and up-to-date information to the international trade community on CBP trade policy. The next upcoming trade outreach webinar will be held on September 1, 2011 and will focus on ACE Post Summary Corrections.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted information on SENTRI eligibility and fees. A SENTRI applicant may be declared ineligible for membership if there are penalties, violations, arrests, convictions or pending law enforcement investigations in their backgrounds. Any negative encounters with state, federal and local law enforcement, border agencies, military authorities, etc. may render an applicant inadmissible to the SENTRI program. In the case of dismissed charges, certified court records may be required as part of membership consideration into the SENTRI program. SENTRI fees are $122.25 per person.

CBP has posted an updated version of its TRQ/TPL "threshold to fill" list, a quick reference to monitor TRQs and TPLs that are approaching their restraint limit or have filled their in-quota (low) rate. The list is divided into two sections: those that are at least 85% filled and those that are filled.