The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of April 17-23:
CBP recently posted a document (here) that provides side-by-side comparisons of 18 U.S. free trade agreements and preferential trade programs. This updated version includes a new section on whether or not "Tariff Shift Rules Updated to 2017 HTSUS" for each agreement. CBP also updated the expiration dates for the Generalized System of Preferences and African Growth and Opportunity Act (see 1506290045). CBP noted that the document, dated March 29, is for comparative purposes and isn't legally binding.
U.S. trade officials met with Afghan counterparts on March 27 and 28 in Kabul to discuss customs, trade facilitation, government procurement procedures, intellectual property, U.S. assistance for Afghanistan's accession to the World Trade Organization, and other bilateral trade and investment issues, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement (here). The U.S. and Afghanistan also talked about opportunities for Afghanistan's expanded use of the Generalized System of Preferences, the need for full implementation of the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, and the role of women in growing trade. In 2016, the U.S. exported $913 million in goods to Afghanistan and imported $34 million in goods from the country, USTR said.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the March 27 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative posted comments (here) on possible de minimis competitive needs limitation (CNL) waivers and possible re-designations of articles not eligible for Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits because they exceeded CNL thresholds, as part of the executive branch's 2016/2017 GSP review. Comments were due at midnight March 22. The Trump administration is expected to make effective final decisions regarding the 2016/2017 GSP review by July 1. In another notice, the International Trade Commission said (here) that it won’t provide advice on withdrawn petitions that had requested CNL waivers for certain products under GSP, after USTR rescinded its request for advice on such petitions in a Feb. 17 letter to the ITC (see 1703020045).
Industry groups renewed the push for duty-free treatment for 28 travel goods imported from beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), claiming in a letter (here) to President Donald Trump that inaction costs industry over $200,000 daily in duties paid. The 17 groups, including the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the National Retail Federation and the Outdoor Industry Association, said those duties result in higher expenses for consumers and impair U.S. companies’ ability to hire. “We urge you to immediately issue a proclamation designating all statutorily eligible travel goods products for all GSP-eligible countries in the GSP program,” the groups said to Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Steve Vaughan.
Petitioners withdrew the competitive need limitation (CNL) waiver petitions from the 2016/2017 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Annual Review for the following products that didn’t surpass CNL thresholds for 2016, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said (here):
Goods of Myanmar origin "entered or withdrawn from warehouse on or after Nov. 13, 2016, should be entered with the benefit" of the Generalized System of Preferences, CBP said in a CSMS message (here). The reinstated GSP benefits are the result of an executive order last year that added Myanmar as a least developed beneficiary developing country (see 1609140032).
CBP on Feb. 15 issued updated internal guidance (here) to allow the filing of protests for first-time post-importation claims for duty benefits under certain free trade agreements and preference programs. The updated guidance, posted by customs lawyer Ted Murphy of Baker & McKenzie to his blog (here), applies to all FTAs and preference programs not covered by the claim process of 19 USC 1520(d). Importers that had their preference claims rejected as non-protestable under the agency’s previous policy “are requested to resubmit their protests to the appropriate field offices within 180 days of the issuance of this guidance,” i.e., by Aug. 14, CBP said.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Jan. 23 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):