CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report as of March 2, 2009. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, tobacco, certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (Weekly commodity report available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
On February 25, 2009 the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) sent a letter to President Obama advocating a "stimulus package for trade."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing a further delay in the deployment of ABI air in-bond functionality. The deployment is now scheduled for Spring 2009. CBP states that it will provide the deployment date as soon as it is available.
Recently posted to the International Trade Data System Web site is a notice summarizing the current and future benefits that the Foreign Trade Zones Board receives from the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted the comments of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) on CBP's Trade Strategy for fiscal years 2009-2013.
Sources at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and a recent National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) webinar have provided an update on using the new Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) chapter1 containingthe Participating Government Agencies (PGA) data set for submitting the Lacey Act Amendments declaration for imported plants and plant products.
CBP has posted a memorandum announcing a special import quota of 15,552,728 kg for upland cotton that is provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter III, U.S. Note 6 and is entered under HTS 9903.52.47. (CBP notes that this quantity is not subject to the tariff rate quotas in Chapter 52 Additional U.S. Notes 5 through 10.)
CBP has issued a CSMS message announcing that an ACE Information Seminar will be held on March 25, 2009 in Sterling, VA. The cost is $55 for Washington Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association (WCBFFA) members and $75.00 for non-members. CBP's CSMS message contains attachments with the seminar flyer and registration form. (CSMS 09-000093, dated 02/19/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17480&page=&srch_argv=09-000093&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued its Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message which announces that two rules in the Batch & Block Control Chapter of the ACE ABI CATAIR1 must soon be adhered to for all messages for six ABI application identifiers, or fatal errors will result.