High-end clothing for celebrities to wear at big events, such as the The Oscars, are not eligible for unused merchandise drawback and also can't be imported as samples, CBP said in a Dec. 16 ruling (here). The ruling, HQ H251771, responded to a ruling request from Christian Dior Couture, represented by Sharretts Paley. The fashion company said it imports haute couture garments for use by celebrities at high-profile events and asked for CBP input on how the agency considers such imports.
Despite renewed vigor to tackle Trade Promotion Authority in the 114th Congress, Senate lawmakers continue to negotiate whether to add a number of expired or expiring trade bills to an initial TPA package, senators and lobbyists said over recent days. Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, may still opt to introduce a standalone TPA bill, said those interviewed. Either way, many lawmakers, but primarily Democrats, are poised to muscle a number of amendments onto the bill at some point in the legislative process.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Jan. 12-16 in case they were missed.
All drawback entries filed before Dec. 3, 2004 deemed liquidated one year later and can no longer be reviewed by CBP, said the Court of International Trade on Dec. 13 as it ruled in favor of Ford Motor Company in a long-running dispute over a series of decade-old drawback claims (here). A law passed by Congress in 2004 providing for deemed liquidation of drawback entries also had the effect of cleaning out the backlog of claims existing at the time, regardless of whether the underlying import entries had liquidated, said the court.
The customs broker’s license examination scheduled for April 2015 will be on Monday, April 13, said CBP in a notice (here). While CBP didn't provide any additional information, the exam typically consists of 80 multiple-choice questions. Exam topics usually include: Entry, Classification, Country of Origin, Trade Agreements, Antidumping/Countervailing Duty, Value, Broker Responsibilities, FP&F, Protests, Marking, Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise, Drawback, Intellectual Property Rights, and other subjects pertinent to a broker's duties. The agency said it will post more information soon.
CBP is extending the comment period until Dec. 24 for an existing information collection related to drawback process regulations. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours, it said in a notice (here).
CBP is requesting comments by Nov. 21 for an existing information collection related to drawback process regulations. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours.
Taiwan continues to be an active participant in World Trade Organization multilateral and plurilateral negotiations, namely on the Trade Facilitation Agreement, said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Michael Punke at the WTO review of Taiwan on Sept. 16. The country is a staunch supporter of the Environmental Goods Agreement, as well as the Information Technology Agreement and Trade in Services Agreement, Punke added.
The driving of a truck out of the U.S. for export constitutes "use" for drawback claims, said CBP in a June 16 ruling, HQ H240038. The ruling, a further review of protest, involves a truck imported and entered into the U.S. that was eventually driven out of the country after sitting unused at the work site it was imported for. CBP previously denied the drawback claims filed by the importer/exporter because "the exported merchandise did not meet the requirements," said CBP.
CBP posted a notice announcing that the next customs broker license exam will be on Monday, Oct. 6. The notice says test-takers will have 4.5 hours, a half hour longer than the agency previously allowed, to complete the exam. "The time was raised from the former limit of 4 hours to allow sufficient time for completion," said an agency spokeswoman. CBP said last year it would allow for 4.5 hours for the 2013 October exam, but eventually said the notice was incorrect (see 13062019 and 13062803).