According to the State Department's Washington File, on June 21, 2005, U.S. and Vietnamese companies signed a series of major business and operating license agreements. The article states that the agreements, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, involve companies including the Boeing Company, Motorola Incorporated, Unocal International Corporation, and the international arm of the New York Life Insurance Company. (Washington File article, dated 06/22/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=June&x=20050622163750ASesuarK0.6834223&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html.)
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 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 modify a classification ruling on certain disposable coveralls, and (b) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on a plastic-coated leather cosmetics bag. 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 has issued messages on a number of antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty actions, many of which (marked by an * in the action column) were previously published in the Federal Register by the International Trade Administration (ITA) and summarized in International Trade Today.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a notice announcing that it has renewed the affirmative finding for the Government of Mexico under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This affirmative finding allows yellowfin tuna harvested in the Eastern Tropical Pacific in compliance with the International Dolphin Conservation Program (IDCP) by Mexican-flag purse seine vessels or purse seine vessels operating under Mexican jurisdiction to be imported into the U.S., effective April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006. NOAA explains that every 5 years, governments must request an affirmative finding and submit certain documentation. In addition, on an annual basis, NOAA will review the affirmative finding and determine whether the harvesting nation continues to meet the requirements. (FR Pub 06/17/05, at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-12022.pdf)
On May 12, 2005, the World Customs Organization (WCO) released the final draft version (Version 2.0) of its Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (final draft framework).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a fact sheet regarding the textile provisions of the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA, CAFTA-DR, or DR-CAFTA).
Washington Trade Daily reports that international litigation in the US-Canada softwood lumber dispute continued on June 1, 2005 with three decisions in three separate cases, two involving the World Trade Organization (WTO) and one involving a NAFTA panel. According to Canadian officials, it is winning all the cases. (WTD, dated 06/02/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing that the fourth specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) (i.e. tranche) provided for in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 5, which opened on June 7, 2005, oversubscribed at opening moment. According to CBP the pro rata percentage is .224776 (22.4776%). (See notice for reporting instructions.) (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/02/05 news, 05060225, for BP summary of the opening of this quota. See ITT's Online Archives or 10/22/04 news, 04102220, for BP summary of CBP's notice announcing instructions for the 2004/2005 global TRQs for specialty sugar.) (QBT-05-513, dated 06/10/05, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2005/05_514.ctt/05_514.doc)
Add'l Reference Materials for Exam)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site an update on the International Trade Data System (ITDS) which appears to have been prepared for the May 5, 2005 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions (COAC).