In the December 29, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 1), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking a classification ruling on men's shirts of bamboo fabric, and (b) revoking a classification ruling on two chemically modified starch products. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for Canadian cheddar cheese as provided for in HTS Chapter 4, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 18, which opened on Monday, January 3, 2005, did not oversubscribe at the opening. Therefore, all entries presented at opening have been charged and may be released. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/04/05 news, 05010445 6, for BP summary on CBP's notice announcing this 2005 TRQ.) (QBT-05-500, dated 01/05/05, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2005/05_500.ctt/05_500.doc)
The Wall Street Journal reports that the duties China will levy on certain categories of apparel exports (coats, skirts, knit shirts, nonknit shirts, pajamas and underwear) seem unlikely to satisfy the governments in the U.S. or Europe intent on protecting their industries from an expected flood of Chinese-made garments. The article states that almost all categories will have duties of just 20 fen per item, with several persons quoted as stating that the tax (which Chinese companies can absorb and/or pass on to customers) is just a political or token measure, and will do little to slow exports. (WJS, dated 12/28/04, www.wsj.com )
In the December 22 and 29, 2004 issues of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 52 and Vol. 39, No. 1), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking two classification rulings on homeopathic products, and (b) revoking a classification ruling on small chocolate lentils. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
The 2005 Schedule B is now available on the Bureau of Census' (Census) Web site for browsing and downloading. (Census notes that the 2005 Schedule B search files are currently being processed and will be available at a future date.)
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site a list of 186 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers that are invalid for use in the Automated Export System (AES) as of January 1, 2005.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has published two notices denying three petitions submitted on behalf of Jaclyn Inc. of New York that had alleged that certain circular single knit jersey fabrics, classified in HTS 6006.31.0080 and/or 6006.32.0080, of certain specifications1, could not be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a preliminary "low duty" tariff rate quota (TRQ) limit of 19,289,046 kg. for tuna and skipjack, in airtight containers, not in oil, in containers weighing with their contents not over 7 kg. each, for the January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 period.
In the December 15, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 51), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking a classification ruling on tattoo needles, and (b) modifying a classification ruling on the glass article in drink mix kits. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.