According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the low-duty Tariff Preference Level (TPL) (2) for Mexico filled on April 21, 2004 at 3:21 p.m.
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.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the U.S. may have to drop 27% duties on Canadian lumber shipments after a NAFTA binational panel ruled that the U.S. International Trade Commission's finding that tariffs are needed because Canadian imports push down prices "is not supported by substantial evidence." According to the article, the U.S. has 21 days to redo its figures or end the duties. (JoC dated 04/30/04, www.joc.com.)
On March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1047, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003."
USTR Seeks Comments on Possible Withdrawal, Suspension, or Limitation of GSP Benefits for Bangladesh
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice stating that the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking public comments by May 12, 2004 on which products of Bangladesh should no longer be eligible for GSP duty-free treatment if the GSP Subcommittee decides to recommend limiting Bangladesh's GSP benefits.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice advising the trade on the upcoming system requirements that will be needed to file a U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA) claim under HTS 9999.00.84 through the Automated Broker Interface (ABI).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued to the ports and posted to its Web site separate instructions regarding (1) the use of visas to make claims for duty-free treatment under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for qualifying textile and/or apparel articles (textile articles) from Sierra Leone that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after April 5, 2004, and (2) quota reporting for certain apparel articles from Sierra Leone that are subject to the AGOA aggregate tariff preference level (TPL) and its sublimit.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice to its Web site stating that the third 2003/2004 "low duty" tariff rate quota (TRQ) for specialty sugar for the April 19, 2004 through September 30, 2004 period opens for 2,000,000 kilograms on April 19, 2004 at 1:00 p.m. EDST or its equivalent in other time zones. CBP notes that this TRQ is expected to oversubscribe at opening moment.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted additional information to its Web site regarding the April 1, 2004 statistical changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) for certain men's and boys' cotton T-shirts and certain other garments classified in HTS 6109.10.00.
In the March 31, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 14), CBP issued notices (a) detailing the dates and draft agenda for the 33rd Session of the Harmonized System Committee, and (b) revoking two classification rulings on blackout drapery fabrics. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in the revocation notice.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing its determination that Sierra Leone (1) has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent unlawful transshipment and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with shipments of textile and apparel articles, and (2) has implemented and follows, or is making substantial progress toward implementing and following, the customs procedures required by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This determination is effective April 5, 2004.