Some new tariff provisions in the 2019 edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule have already been implemented, despite the ongoing partial federal government shutdown and the resulting lack of any official version published by the International Trade Commission. According to documents recently posted by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, changes affect classification for infant footwear, aluminum foil and paper, among other products. Extensive changes were also made to units of measure throughout the tariff schedule. On the other hand, changes made by a recent presidential proclamation, including the removal of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) benefits for Mauritania, have yet to be implemented by CBP, the NCBFAA has said. The following is a summary of the purported changes to the tariff schedule:
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CBP will take a closer look at the possible use of Chinese internment camp forced labor in the production of imported sportswear, following an Associated Press report, an agency spokesman said. "CBP is reviewing the information published this week" by the AP and another report from The New York Times that linked the internment camps to goods sold by Badger Sportswear, the spokesman said. Those reports "for the first time [appear] to link the internment camps identified in Western China to the importation of goods produced by forced labor by a U.S. company," he said.
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The CBP Office of Field Operations proposes to add a "social compliance" piece to the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program as part of the effort to stop imports made with forced labor, it said in a strategy document. CBP released the document ahead of the Dec. 5 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting in Herndon, Virginia. According to draft recommendations from the COAC Secure Trade Lanes Subcommittee, adoption of the forced labor strategy document will be recommended.
CBP posted a webinar and presentation from August focused on the agency's enforcement of prohibitions on imports made with forced labor. The webinar included government speakers from CBP and the Labor and State departments.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) for CBP will next meet Dec. 5 in Herndon, Virginia, CBP said in a notice.
While President Donald Trump removed African Growth and Opportunity Act eligibility from Mauritania due to the use of forced labor (see 1811050019), CBP wouldn't say whether it also plans to take action. "CBP cannot comment about upcoming or pending [withhold release orders], or other actions, as they constitute law enforcement actions," a CBP spokesman said. "CBP takes all allegations of forced labor seriously and continues to monitor this situation for links to U.S. imports." CBP can issue WROs and take other action related to imports believed to be made with the use of forced labor.
Mauritania, which exported about $54.9 million in goods to the U.S. last year under trade preferences, will be barred from the African Growth and Opportunity Act at the beginning of 2019, because of its continuing problem with forced labor. Virtually all of the imports that are covered by AGOA are fuel, though the U.S. does import a few million dollars' worth of fish, fertilizers and other products. President Donald Trump sent a notification of the change to Congress on Nov. 2.
The Treasury Department published its fall 2018 regulatory agenda for CBP. The agenda includes one new rulemaking involving the Craft Beverage Modernization Act. The agency will try to issue an interim final rule by December this year that "eliminates a restriction pertaining to CBP’s authority to refund excessive duties, taxes, fees, or interest imposed on distilled spirits, wine, and beer," it said.