CBP Administrative Messages, Electronic Bulletin Board Notices, Etc

1. "Snow Day" Due to ABI-ACH Payment Problem Spans 2 Days

CBP states that it had not yet processed ACH credit transactions initiated on September 30, 2004, but it had anticipated doing so on the night of Tuesday, October 5, 2004. Therefore, those final statements would be available for retrieval on the morning of Wednesday, October 6, 2004. CBP states that entry summaries on those statements will not be marked as late paid but will instead be properly marked as paid on September 30, 2004. (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/05/04 news, 04100545 1, for BP summary of CBP's previous messages (Adm: 04-2114 and 04-2115) on this snow day.) (CBP Adm: 04-2140, dated 10/04/04, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2004/2004-2140.ADM)

2. Sugar Blends TRQ for "Other Countries" Did Not Oversubscribe at Opening

CBP has posted to its Web site a notice announcing that the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for sugar blends from "other countries," as provided for in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 8, did not oversubscribe at opening on Friday, October 1, 2004. Therefore, all entries presented at opening have been charged and may be released. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/22/04 news, 04092240 4, for BP summary of CBP's notice (QBT-04-535) announcing the opening of this TRQ.) (QBT-04-543, dated 10/04/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/QBT2004/2004_543.ctt/2004_543.doc)

3. SCACs Required on Forms 3171 & 1300 for Vessel Operating Carriers & Slot Charters, Not Required for NVOCCs

CBP has posted to its Web site a notice stating that, effective immediately, the Standard Carrier Alpha Codes (SCACs) for vessel operating carriers and slot charters are required on CBP Form 3171 (Block 12) and CBP Form 1300 (Block 20), while SCACs for non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) are not required on either document. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/20/04 news, 04092099 6, for BP summary of a Portland CBP Trade Bulletin announcing this policy for NVOCCs.See ITT's Online Archives or 08/11/04 news, 04081110, for BP summary of CBP's updated FAQ (specifically, FAQ 11) which reflects this change.) (CBP notice, dated 08/26/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/carriers/tcf04_1669.ctt/tcf04_1669.doc)

4. Textile and Apparel Quotas 85% or More Filled as of October 4, 2004

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 October 4, 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 10/04/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)

5. Weekly Quota Commodity Report as of October 4, 2004

CBP has issued its weekly quota commodity report as of October 4, 2004. This report includes tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on various products such as beef, tuna, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa powder, tobacco, certain JFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TRQs, etc. This report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, CBTPA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA tariff preference levels (TPLs) for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics under HTS 9902.51.11 & 9902.51.12, etc. (CBP's weekly quota commodity report, dated 10/04/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)

6. CBP Intercepts Shipment of Peppers Infested with Fruit Fly Larvae in Miami

CBP has issued a press release stating that a shipment of habanero peppers, manifested as being from the Netherlands but suspected to have originated elsewhere, was found to be infested with more than 200 suspected fruit fly larvae when it was intercepted by a CBP Agriculture Specialist at the Port of Miami on August 23, 2004. (CBP press release, dated 10/04/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/10042004.xml)

7. VOCC that Has Become Sea AMS Operational

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the following vessel operating common carrier (VOCC) has become Sea Automated Manifest System (AMS) operational:

8. Air AMS Expansions

CBP has announced the following Air AMS expansions: