In the June 29, 2005 and July 6, 2005 issues of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 27 and 28), CBP issued notices (a) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on steel step cans, and (b) proposing to modify a classification ruling on drawer pulls. CBP states that it is also proposing to revoke any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
CBP CROSS Rulings
CBP issues binding advance rulings in connection with the importation of merchandise into the United States. They issue the rulings to give the trade community transparency of how CBP will treat a prospective import or carrier transaction. Common rulings include the tariff classification, country of origin, or free trade agreement applicability of merchandise, among other things. These rulings are available in CBP's Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) database.
In a statement containing his June 9, 2005 oral testimony before the House Government Reform Committee, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff answered a question on the use of third-party, certified auditors to improve container security/inspection, by stating that DHS is starting to talk about how it can tap into that expertise, so DHS doesn't have to own everything itself. Secretary Chertoff added that DHS wants to set the baseline, and does not necessarily want to operate it all as a government operation. (DHS statement, dated 06/09/05, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4536 )
CBP Final Rule Interprets the Term "Production" under NAFTA to Include the Disassembly of Used Goods
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a final rule, effective August 1, 2005, which adopts as final, with some changes, proposed amendments to 19 CFR Part 181 concerning the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in order to promote recycling and remanufacturing in North America.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently issued a Customs Bulletin notice requesting written comments by July 29, 2005 on its proposal to limit the application of the court decisions in Park B. Smith Ltd. vs. U.S. (Park) to the specific cotton woven table linens and cotton woven dhurry rug entries before the courts in that litigation. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/01/05 news, 05070110 for BP summary.)
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of its countervailing (CV) duty administrative review of certain pasta from Italy for the period of January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a Customs Bulletin notice requesting written comments by July 29, 2005 on its proposal to limit the application of the decisions of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) and the Court of International Trade (CIT) in Park B. Smith Ltd. vs. U.S. (Park) to the specific cotton woven table linens and cotton woven dhurry rug entries before the courts in that litigation.
On May 27, 2005, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) issued a final rule, effective July 26, 2005, which amends 27 CFR Part 555 to require licensed importers to identify by marking all explosive materials they import for sale or distribution.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that its most recent Harmonized System (HS) update (No. 0505) contains:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message regarding the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) FC01 input record which states that page OGA-24 (Other Government Agencies) of the CATAIR was changed in Amendment 1 (dated March 2005) to allow for the submission of new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) import condition 5A (the described equipment is a non-U.S. standard cellular phone than can only function outside of the U.S.).
In the June 22, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 26), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke or modify two classification rulings on silymarin (milk thistle) and leucoanthocyanin, and (b) revoking treatment accorded flame cut nonalloy steel circles. CBP states that it is also revoking, or proposing to revoke, any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.