In an article about the recent shutdown of the ACE Release 4 Truck Manifest pilot in Blaine, WA, The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is optimistic that the shutdown is "temporary" (i.e., weeks, not months) and that programmers are already at work fixing the problems. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/05/05 news, 05010505, for BP summary on the shutdown.)
Washington Trade Daily reports that the European Union (EU) is expected to lift sanctions by the end of January 2005 on certain U.S. products imposed in a dispute over the recently-repealed U.S. Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC)/FSC Replacement and Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Act (ETI) tax regime. According to the article, the regulations to repeal the sanctions are expected to enter into force on February 1, 2005, but will be retroactive to January 1, 2005 (i.e., duties paid in January 2005 will be reimbursed). The article notes that the EU's regulations leave the door open to reimposition of sanctions if the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that the U.S.' FSC/ETI repeal legislation does not comply with earlier WTO rulings. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/13/05 news, 05011310, for BP summary on the EU's beginning of the process to lift additional duties against certain U.S. products.) (WTD dated 01/24/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice stating that, at the request of the European Communities (EC), a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel (DSP) has been established to examine certain revised countervailing (CV) sunset review determinations made by the International Trade Administration (ITA).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice stating that Thailand has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with the U.S. concerning the imposition of provisional antidumping (AD) measures on shrimp from Thailand.
The European Commission has drafted a regulation to lift the additional customs duties it has imposed on certain U.S.-origin products in connection with the European Union's (EU's) dispute over the U.S. Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC)/FSC Replacement and Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Act (ETI) tax regime.
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that Representative Millender-McDonald has introduced legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a shipment profiling plan for imported loaded and empty containers, inspection of merchandise at foreign ports and issue final rules for biometric identification cards for seaport employees. The article notes that Representative Millender-McDonald introduced a virtually identical bill in October 2003 that died in committee at the end of the 108th Congress. (JoC Online dated 01/10/05, www.joc.com.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a general notice announcing the two-year extension of the quota preprocessing program (QPP) test, in order to provide for the electronic processing of certain quota-class apparel merchandise prior to the arrival of the importing carrier, through December 31, 20061.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice stating that the European Communities (EC) has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with the U.S. regarding the U.S. antidumping (AD) duty investigation on stainless steel bar from the United Kingdom (U.K.).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that the European Communities (EC) has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with respect to the American JOBS Creation Act of 2004.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing its determination that certain products, exempted from visa and quota requirements under previous arrangements, should also be exempted from safeguard quotas imposed on textile and textile products from China.