U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a memorandum announcing the 2012 Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (BFTA) tariff preference level for certain non-originating textiles and apparel, as provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XIV, U.S. Note 13.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an updated list of 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers for articles that may be subject to the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008 (SLA 2008). However, the written product definitions in SLA 2008 determine the scope of articles subject to CBP requirements, not the listed tariff numbers. If an article is not classified in one of the listed tariff numbers but is described in SLA 2008, the article is subject to CBP requirements.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted two Great Idea Form (GIFs) on requests from the trade community for access to (i) Document Image System (DIS) information in ACE Reports and (ii) images submitted electronically to CBP through DIS via the ACE Portal. According to the GIFs, providing these enhancements to the trade will allow importers to view and review documents in near real-time, communicate with the Participating Government Agency (PGA) in nearly the same view, resolve matters expeditiously, and review and discuss trends that will ultimately lead to fewer trade disruptions.

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of January 4, 2012.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a memorandum on the 2012 duty-free DR-CAFTA¹ tariff preference level (TPL) for certain non-originating Costa Rica apparel of wool or subject to wool restraints and mastectomy swimsuits, as provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XV, U.S. Notes 16 and 17.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a memorandum announcing the 2012 tariff preference level (TPL) limit and sublimits for certain U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) apparel goods that can benefit from cumulation¹ using Mexican inputs, as provided for in HTS Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII, U.S. Note 21.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a January 3, 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.

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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.