CBP has posted an updated version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) - an electronic query report for CF 1400 of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP has also posted an updated CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) - an electronic query report for CF 1401 of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.
CBP has posted an updated version of its Public Automated Commercial System FIRMS (Facilities Information and Resources Management Systems) report that is organized by port code and alphabetically by company name.
On August 15, 2011, the Port of Long Beach announced that its shipping terminals experienced a small drop in container volume in July, down 2.5% from the same month a year ago. Imports were down by 1.2% while exports were basically flat, with a 0.6% in volume. Contributing to the overall dip was a 7.3% decrease in empty containers being shipped overseas. Calendar year to date, overall container moves at the Port are up 4.7%. Imports are also up 4.7%, and exports are up 3.5%. The latest monthly cargo numbers are available here.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a revised tipsheet to assist new importers and exporters. The tipsheet includes information on importer security filing (ISF/10+2) for ocean vessel shipments, quota requirements for certain commodities, required licenses, information available on CBP's website, HTS classification ruling requests from CBP, etc.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that on July 24, 2011, CBP Seaport Operations Team at the Newark/New York Seaport and ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents with the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) conducted an examination of a ship originating from Ecuador that was ultimately destined for Belgium. CBP Officers discovered that out of 90 refrigerated containers, one held 101 lbs of cocaine, and not frozen foods. The cocaine had an approximate street value of more than $2.2 million.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that CBP officers in Cincinnati, working in conjunction with the shipping company DHL, discovered $639,700 in U.S. currency hidden within two separate shipments manifested as tortilla roller machines. The two shipments of eight tortilla presses originated from the same individual in Mexico and were headed to Colombia.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to CBP's Web site as of August 15, 2011, along with the case number(s), period covered, and CBP message number, is provided below. These messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.
On August 11, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that CBP officers at an air cargo consignment facility of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) seized three gallons of Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL), a strong intoxicant used as a precursor of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) a Schedule I Controlled Substance referred to as the "date rape" drug. CBP officers examined a three gallon white plastic container arriving from China, which smugglers tried to disguise with a misleading invoice description of “Propylene Glycol.” The estimated street value of this seizure is $1,414.
On August 11, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that CBP officers and import specialists at the Newark/New York port of entry seized approximately 50,000 baseball caps for intellectual property rights violations manifested as household goods. CBP officers selected a container manifested as household goods for examination. The import specialist determined that many of the baseball caps in the shipment violated several different trademarks for luxury clothing labels, corporate logos, and sports teams, including the New York Yankees. The caps had an estimated domestic value of approximately $100,000, and an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $1 million.
On August 11, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that it found more than two pounds of heroin in the hem of dresses from India at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. CBP officers responded to the New York Air Courier Clearance (NYACC) Express Consignment Courier Facility to examine a shipment that was labeled as a “Dress” from India. The officers examined three traditional Indian dresses with a strong chemical odor and thick hem, in which a total of 2.8 pounds of heroin was concealed. The street value of the heroin seized was approximately $90,000.