CBP said it created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1507 on Oct. 7, containing 1,101 ABI records and 224 harmonized tariff records. The update includes the addition of Partner Government Agency indicators for future Lacey Act submissions, said CBP (here). Other changes are related to a recent presidential proclamation on Generalized System of Preferences product eligibility (see 1510010030). Adjustments required for the verification of the 2015 Harmonized Tariff Schedule are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
Lacey Act
The Lacey Act and subsequent amendments make it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, or acquire any plant, fish or wildlife obtained in violation of U.S., tribal or foreign law, as well as any injurious wildlife. The law is administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and CBP. APHIS has been implementing Lacey Act declaration requirements since 2009. Lacey Act declarations may be filed by the importer of record or its licensed customs broker, and include information on imported item's species name, value, quantity, and country where it was harvested.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking participants for its pilot on electronic submission in the Automated Commercial Environment of information required by APHIS Animal Care, Biotechnology and Regulatory Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, and Veterinary Services, it said (here). Through the pilot, which APHIS says will begin “no earlier than Oct. 2,” APHIS and CBP will test filing in ACE through APHIS’ Partner Government Agency (PGA) message set and the Document Imaging.
Lawmakers introduced the following trade-related bills since International Trade Today's last legislative update:
CBP posted summaries of the Standard Operating Procedures for CBP and Participating Government Agencies as part of the Automated Commercial Environment/International Trade Data System pilot (here). Links to the ACE Pilot procedure summaries are below:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Sept. 8-11 in case they were missed.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reminded importers that Lacey Act declarations are now required for an additional 20 products announced in February (see 1502050015), in an email sent to stakeholders on Sept. 4 (here). The 20 products, which include casks, barrels, barrelheads, tableware and kitchenware, were added to the APHIS Lacey Act Schedule of Enforcement (here) on Aug. 6, it said. The Schedule was also updated to correct an errant HTS number for used wooden casks, said APHIS. Imports of any products listed in the Schedule are subject to Lacey Act PPQ Form 505 declaration requirements, and failure to file the declaration for listed product types containing plant material may result in civil or criminal penalties and forfeiture, said the agency.
CBP’s recent delay of some mandatory use dates for the Automated Commercial Environment elicited a sigh of relief from the trade community, but much work remains to ensure a smooth transition, said customs brokers and software developers in recent interviews. The new staged approach, with deadlines in February and July 2016, gives the trade the time it needs to successfully migrate to ACE. However, familiar problems with quota-related entry types and still-unreleased software requirements by CBP and other agencies will remain hurdles to be overcome as ACE implementation continues over the coming year.
CBP posted additional details on the agency's recently revised plans for transitioning to the Automated Commercial Environment (here). CBP decided to push back some of the mandatory use dates for ACE in response to readiness concerns for the system (see 1509010017). As part of the updated schedule, beginning Feb. 28, ACE will be required for electronic entries and entry summaries, as well as for Food and Drug Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Lacey Act data.