The Census Bureau on Jan. 2 updated its tables of Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes that are no longer valid for the Automated Export System to reflect changes made to the codes for 2024, the agency said in an email to industry. AES will accept shipments with outdated codes during a 30-day grace period that began when the codes expired Dec. 31, Census said. Reporting an outdated code after the grace period will “result in a fatal error.”
DHS is drafting a proposed rule that could mandate electronic export manifest for all cargo leaving the U.S. by rail, according to the agency’s recently released fall 2023 regulatory agenda. The proposed rule would require filers of that electronic export information to “identify the parties eligible to transmit information, describe the time frames prior to departure of the train in which the information is due, and identify an initial filing that must occur 24 hours prior to departure from the port of export while requiring that remaining data be transmitted at least two hours prior to such departure.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration is setting 2024 quotas for the manufacture and importation of controlled substances in Schedules I and II of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice released Dec. 29. Substances not listed in the table included in DEA's notice will have a quota of zero. DEA is also setting quotas for the List I chemicals ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine. The order is effective Jan. 3.
The Census Bureau emailed tips last week on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the 2024 hourly rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime and holiday inspection and identification, certification and laboratory services. Effective Jan. 14, the agency's base time rate will be $71.64, and its overtime rate $87.96. The 2024 holiday rate will be $104.28, and the laboratory rate will be $103.24. FSIS said the export application fee will be $4.01 per application, unchanged from last year's fee.
The Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule Dec. 18 setting new significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 24 chemical substances subject to Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemical substances for an activity designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. Importers of chemicals subject to these SNURs will need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements, and exporters of these chemical substances will now become subject to export notification requirements. The final rule takes effect Feb. 16. The SNURs cover the following:
The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Industry and Security have restarted work on their long-awaited routed export rule and hope to make more progress in the next year, said Gerry Horner, chief of the Census Trade Regulations Branch.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to list 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC), two phenethylamine hallucinogens, under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice published Dec. 13. "If finalized, this action would impose the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess), or propose to handle these two specific controlled substances." Comments are due by Jan. 12.
The Census Bureau published a set of questions and answers to provide more guidance for Automated Export System users trying to determine how to report the Ultimate Consignee in their Electronic Export Information (see 2310110044 and 2309080052). The Dec. 13 guidance answers questions on items involving ultimate consignees and routed export transactions, transactions that involve a license exception, how Census determines changes in the characteristics of an export that may add value to the item, transactions subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and more.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily adding six synthetic cannabinoids -- MDMB-4en-PINACA, 4F-MDMB-BUTICA, ADB-4en-PINACA, CUMYL-PEGACLONE, 5F-EDMB-PICA and MMB-FUBICA -- to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a temporary scheduling order. The listing takes effect Dec. 12, and will be in effect for up to three years.