The Journal of Commerce reports that for the railroads, hazmat liability costs have soared; and, hazmat truckers are experiencing dramatic cost increases as drivers, already in short supply, become scarcer and competitors leave the industry. The article states that part of the problem is the sweeping number of products considered hazardous under federal rules, from highly toxic gases to nail polish. (JoC, dated 01/15/07, www.joc.com )
Broker Power is able to provide quota prices (generally twice a month) for a limited number of textile and apparel categories from the People's Republic of China (China) that are subject to "agreed quotas" and publicly traded. (These publicly traded quota prices have been provided by a Hong Kong quota broker.)
According to sources at the International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), some of the underlying tariff numbers for 2007 Chapter 99 tariff numbers are more up-to-date in CBP's Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and Harmonized records, than in the ITC's electronic and print version of the 2007 Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a frequently asked question (FAQ) document which reflects CBP's current thinking on its draft proposal1 to require 10 additional data elements from importers 24 hours prior to foreign lading and 2 data sets from ocean carriers (also referred to as Security Filing (SF) and the 10+2 proposal).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a textile book transmittal (TBT)1 on its Web site which states that in its review of textile and apparel entry summaries, it has found both brokers and importers to have made egregious errors in the reporting of statistical data, such that the entry documents do not correctly reflect the transactions. CBP states that these errors occur in the reporting of quantity, country of origin, classification, and manufacturer identification number.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice reopening the comment period until February 26, 2007 on its proposed rule to amend its regulations governing foreign and domestic drug establishment registration and listing for human drugs, including drugs that are regulated under a biologics license application, and animal drugs.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a proposed rule which would amend 49 CFR Parts 385, 386, 390, 392, 393, and 396 to, for the first time, make intermodal equipment providers (IEPs) subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The proposed rule would also impose additional requirements on motor carriers and drivers operating intermodal equipment.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously announced that the next Customs Broker License Examination will be held on Monday, April 2, 2007.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site another revised (February 2007) version of its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on e-Manifest" (electronic manifest).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period. The ITA also issues other notices which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance.