International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Oct. 17-21 in case they were missed.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is no longer issuing designated port exception permits to authorize entries at ports with no FWS staff present, it said in a public bulletin issued Oct. 18 (here). As FWS begins its ACE filing pilot, “it is critical that our wildlife inspectors be staffed at ports of clearance to process shipments and function effectively in this new single window environment,” the agency said. An FWS official announced the change in September, noting that FWS may still issue the permits for ports with FWS personnel that are not designated for the commodity in question (see 1609130042).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP released a list of frequently asked question on reconciliation in ACE (here). Subjects mentioned in the FAQs include the use of the Document Image System, importers previously removed from the reconciliation program and entries previously filed in the Automated Commercial System. Reconciliation filings will be required in ACE starting in January (see 1609300026).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
ORLANDO -- Functionality for ACE Partner Government Agency (PGA) foreign-trade zone admissions needs several improvements, and federal agencies are adopting alternatives as ACE still can’t accept several PGA datasets, government officials said during the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones annual conference on Oct. 17. Jim Swanson, director of cargo security and controls in CBP’s Office of Field Operations, expressed disappointment in the fact that filers are often providing two to three sets of paperwork to different PGAs for what should be one filing and said that CBP and other agencies are working to ensure that the customs message set aligns with PGA frameworks. “Several PGAs indicated that they were at least interested in having a discussion about getting that PGA line level information when it’s submitted in a [electronic CBP Form] 214,” CBP’s foreign-trade zone admission document. “We think that’s a final solution.”
ORLANDO -- The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones is pushing for a legislative initiative to better balance FTZ and non-FTZ tariffs, NAFTZ executives said Oct. 17 during the group’s annual conference. The legislation, referred to as “Trade Equality for American Manufacturing” (TEAM), would aim to align tariff rates on FTZ imports from countries that have signed a trade deal with the U.S. with non-FTZ import tariff rates for goods from those nations, which are most often lower than FTZ products that meet the same preferential rules of origin, NAFTZ President Erik Autor said. The bill has yet to be introduced, and the trade group hasn't engaged lawmakers.