CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan highlighted some planned additional benefits to participation in the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, in prepared remarks for the July 18 Senate Finance International Trade Subcommittee hearing on U.S. ports and trade. The ongoing transitioning of the Importer Self-Assessment program into CTPAT Trade Compliance "includes the extensive development of new benefits," he said. CBP has a loose deadline of the end of 2018 for transitioning ISA participants into CTPAT (see 1709070010), and a phased rollout of new CTPAT standards is expected to begin in October (see 1806070058).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP updated its ACE Entry Summary business rules and processes document with changes to the quota section and other parts of the document. "Numerous significant revisions have been made to the quota section of this document and language explaining how absolute quota works in ACE has been added to the section," CBP said. Other revisions were made to the sections on temporary importation bonds, reconciliation, warehouse entries and withdrawals, and collections, according to the change log.
CBP will flag two more Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes in ACE at the request of the National Marine Fisheries Service, CBP said in a CSMS message. The codes -- 0304.49.0190 (Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced), fresh, chilled or frozen (90 = Other)) and 0304.87.0000 (Tunas, non-specific fillet frozen (of the genus Thunnus), skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito (Euthynnus or Katsuwonus pelamis)) -- will be flagged as NM5, it said. That flag means that specific Highly Migratory Species information may be required by NMFS. "Because these codes are 'general' in their description, a disclaimer will be allowed for the HMS program for the NM5 flag if the codes are being used for product that is not fresh Bluefin tuna (or is not other product that is covered the NMFS HMS program, primarily Bluefin tuna or swordfish)," CBP said.
Special agents in ICE's Homeland Security Investigations seized 181,000 counterfeit items, estimated to be worth $42.9 million if the products were real, as part of an operation in Laredo, Texas, the agency said in a news release. In June, the ICE agents "conducted surveillance over a three-day period and observed boxes containing suspected counterfeit merchandise being moved," it said. "During the enforcement action, HSI discovered that all shipping labels on all the boxes depicted fictitious delivery addresses in Laredo. HSI confirmed the boxes contained counterfeit merchandise and detained the boxes."
CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters: