According to U.S. government sources, the 2005 printed, paper edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTS) is expected to be printed later than usual this year.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a final rule (CBP Dec. 04-40), effective December 30, 2004, which adopts with minor changes two interim rules (T.D. 01-74 and CBP Dec. 03-29) regarding standards for preferential treatment for brassieres imported under the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has posted a fact sheet to its Web site announcing that on December 1, 2004, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) agreed to consider a petition filed by certain textile groups requesting a safeguard quota on other synthetic filament fabric (Category 620) from China.
On November 19, 2004, the Senate passed the conference version of H.R. 1047, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004. The House passed the conference version of H.R. 1047 on October 8, 2004. The conference version of H.R. 1047 has now been cleared for the White House.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message to ABI brokers stating that the contact names for requesting a change in Census parameters have changed.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has published a notice denying a petition submitted on behalf of Jaclyn, Inc. of New York that had alleged that certain circular single knit jersey fabric of certain specifications, classified in HTS 6006.34.0080, could not be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message to ABI filers stating that it will collect a mango fee of $0.005 per pound ( cent per pound), effective January 3, 2005.
CBP has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of November 29, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) that are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 11/29/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
On November 23, 2004, the Canadian government published a notice in the Canada Gazette seeking comments by December 20, 2004 on possible retaliation against the U.S. in response to the U.S.' failure to repeal the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (CDSOA, commonly referred to as the Byrd Amendment). An associated press release and backgrounder was also issued.
On November 19, 2004, the Senate passed the conference version of H.R. 1047, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004. The House passed the conference version of H.R. 1047 on October 8, 2004. The conference version of H.R. 1047 has now been cleared for the White House.