(BP is issuing a revised summary of CBP's notice on the CAFTA-DR TPL for Nicaragua apparel in order to state that no SPI P or P indicator is required. See ITT's Online Archives, 06040620 for earlier BP summary [now corrected].
Customs duty
A customs duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs duty rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight. U.S. customs duties are listed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a document entitled "Morocco FTA Textile and Apparel TRQs and TPLs'" which clarifies that under the Morocco Free Trade Agreement (MFTA), there are actually 45 textile and apparel tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for originating goods, and 2 tariff preference levels (TPLs) for non-originating goods.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice on the duty-free CAFTA-DR tariff preference level (TPL) for certain non-originating Nicaragua apparel of cotton or man-made fiber (MMF), or subject to cotton or MMF restraints, as provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XV, U.S. Note 15.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued two notices on the CAFTA-DR tariff rate quotas (TRQs) that are in effect for the April 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006 period for certain "qualifying" agricultural products (including sugar) from Honduras or Nicaragua.
On March 31, 2006, President Bush issued Proclamation 7996 to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), etc., to implement the U.S. - Dominican Republic -Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) for Honduras and Nicaragua.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice on the CAFTA-DR tariff rate quota (TRQ) that has been implemented for the March 24, 2006 - December 31, 2006 period for certain sugar and sugar containing products from El Salvador.
The House Ways and Means Committee has issued an advisory announcing that it will hold a hearing on April 5, 2006 on the implementation of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
On March 31, 2006, President Bush issued Proclamation 7996 to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), etc., to implement the U.S. - Dominican Republic -Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) for Honduras and Nicaragua.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a notice announcing that, following a request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), it has instituted an investigation in order to provide advice concerning the probable economic effect of providing duty-free treatment for imports under a free trade agreement (FTA) with Malaysia, and will seek input through a public hearing on April 19, 2006.
In Timber Products Co., v. U.S., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) declined to affirm the Court of International Trade's (CIT's) determination that certain Brazilian plywood made from wood of differing species is classifiable under HTS 4412.14.30 (1997) a residual provision for plywood rather than under HTS 4412.13.40 (1997, duty-free), which includes plywood made in part from Virola wood. The case is remanded to the CIT as the CAFC believes it misconstrued the requirements for establishing a commercial meaning for "Virola."