CBP has posted an updated version of its fact sheet on the benefits of ACE for sureties. The list of benefits has been updated to state that sureties can run a custom bond report as well as created customized reports and to state that sureties can query a bond by "Bond Number," "Bond Activity Code," or "Bond Status." The additional information section has also been updated to state that additional information is alsoavailable on the ACE training and Reference Guides pages on www.cbp.gov/modernization. (Fact sheet, dated 02/03/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/fact_sheets/trade/ace_factsheets/ace_overview/sureties_fact_sheet.xml)
CBP has posted Amendment 32 to the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) document. According to CBP, the CATAIR has been amended as follows:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently posted to its Web site a frequently asked question (FAQ) document regarding its interim final rule that amended 19 CFR effective January 26, 2009, to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
CBP has issued a CSMS message on the implementation of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after February 1, 2009. Importers and brokers may file claims for preferential tariff treatment on goods that originate under the PTPA. These claims may be made at the time of entry summary by placing the SPI "PE" on the CBP Form 7501 as a prefix to the HTS item number for each line on which preferential treatment is claimed. The programming updates to the ACS allowing for automated processing have not yet been completed. Therefore, until further notice, importers claiming preference under the PTPA should file manual entries or file ABI entries at release with manual entry summaries. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/02/09 news, 09020210, for BP summary of Proclamation 8341, which amended the HTS to implement the PTPA, etc.)(CSMS 09-000070, dated 01/30/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17456&page=&srch_argv=09-000070&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing that beginning on February 3, 2009, its Revenue Division will post information about continuous bonds scheduled to be rendered insufficient to the surety's Business Activity Log (BAL) in ACE, as part of a test process that will last at least 45 days.
CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that the ACE Certification Environment will be unavailable beginning 7:00 p.m. EST on January 29, 2009 through 6:00 a.m. EST on February 2, 2009. CBP later issued a CSMS message extending the unavailability of the ACE Certification Environment an additional day. The ACE Certification Environment is now projected to be available at 6:00 a.m. EST on February 3, 2009. (CSMS 09-000062, issued 01/28/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17448&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby; CSMS 09-000071, dated 01/30/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17457&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice announcing the extension of the contingency plan to allow conveyances that normally pay annual user fees to be cleared by CBP without a per crossing/arrival payment until February 28, 2009 (from January 31, 2009).
CBP has issued a CSMS message stating the Transaction reports in ACE still have static data for the dates between January 19 and January 24th. A communication will be sent once the Transaction reports are fully updated in ACE. (CSMS 09-000059, issued 01/27/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17445&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby=)
A number of documents have been posted to the International Trade Data System1 Web site, most of which are related to the ITDS Product Information Committee2.
CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report as of January 26, 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/)