U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a QBT to announce the opening of the third, fourth and fifth Specialty Sugar tranches on January 11, April 11, and July 11, 2012 respectively, at 12 noon eastern time or its equivalent in other time zones. The quantity for each of these three tranches is 19,051,000 kilograms (kg).

David Genovese, the Director of Trade Modernization and ACE Coordination in the ACE Business Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, passed away at age 44 on December 27, 2011. He is survived by his wife and two children, ages 16 and 13. The David Genovese Memorial Fund, Wells Fargo Bank c/o Branch Manager, 131 Garrisonville Road, Stafford, VA, 22554 has been created to benefit his children, in lieu of flowers. Internment was private. Press reports indicate Genovese died of a massive heart attack. Daily Record obituary notice available here.

In the January 4, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 2), CBP published two notices that propose to modify two rulings and similar treatment regarding the NAFTA eligibility and country of origin of CoCo Peat and the tariff classification of a lighting fixture.

In the January 4, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 2), CBP published two notices that propose to revoke two rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of children's costume vests and stacking drawers.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued the following news releases related to commercial trade and related issues:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a January 9, 2012 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP has also posted a December 12, 2011 version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued memorandum on the 2012 tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for agricultural products described in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XII, U.S. Notes 3 through 16, excluding U.S. Note 12, with respect to the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (MFTA).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a memorandum announcing the 2012 tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for agricultural products (including trade surplus sugar) described in HTS Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII, U.S. Notes 24 and 25 and HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XV, U.S. Notes 4 through 14 with respect to the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued memorandum on the tariff rate quotas for agricultural products described in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XVI, U.S. Notes 3 through 12, with respect to the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA).