Washington Trade Daily reports that the European Union (EU) is expected to lift sanctions by the end of January 2005 on certain U.S. products imposed in a dispute over the recently-repealed U.S. Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC)/FSC Replacement and Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Act (ETI) tax regime. According to the article, the regulations to repeal the sanctions are expected to enter into force on February 1, 2005, but will be retroactive to January 1, 2005 (i.e., duties paid in January 2005 will be reimbursed). The article notes that the EU's regulations leave the door open to reimposition of sanctions if the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that the U.S.' FSC/ETI repeal legislation does not comply with earlier WTO rulings. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/13/05 news, 05011310, for BP summary on the EU's beginning of the process to lift additional duties against certain U.S. products.) (WTD dated 01/24/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its seventh version (dated January 12, 2005) of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information for inbound air cargo.
Shippers NewsWire reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun to expand its cargo security strategy beyond weeding out high-risk international shipments to include a domestic component designed to provide comprehensive supply chain security from point of origin to final destination. According to the article, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is developing domestic security policies to prevent truck, rail, barge or air modes of transport within the U.S. from being used to attack critical transport networks or transfer a mass destruction weapon to high-value targets, and is taking its cues from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). (SNW dated 01/19/05, www.americanshipper.com.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its seventh version (dated January 12, 2005) of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information for inbound air cargo.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Office of Information and Technology has posted a notice to its Web site containing (a) a list, updated as of January 18, 2005, of companies/persons offering Sea Automated Manifest System (AMS) data processing services to the trade community, and (b) the Sea AMS Respondent Checklist, as follows:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site an updated summary of changes to the June 2004 version of the Automated Export System (AES) Technical Interface Requirements (AESTIR). According to this summary, the most recent changes to the AESTIR are as follows:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) states that in the fall of 1990, ABI implemented a program to notify filers when ocean and air bills of lading, reported by the filer on an entry, did not match up to a bill number in the Automated Manifest System (AMS) records. The filer was then to immediately contact the carrier or its agent to confirm the bill number or to determine if the bill had not yet been transmitted to AMS.
In the January 12, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 3), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking two classification rulings on certain dinnerware (stoneware, flatware, and glassware) sets, and (b) revoking a classification ruling on a men's cotton denim woven shirt-jacket. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
Shippers NewsWire reports that at the recent 2004 Trade Symposium, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Bonner told reporters that CBP is ready to take the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) to the next level by offering "C-TPAT Plus," as an incentive for low-risk shippers to do more. According to the article, CBP security programs and confidence in certain shippers has evolved to the point that a "green lane" is now feasible. (SNW dated 01/14/05, www.americanshipper.com .)
The Treasury Department (Treasury) has published its semi-annual regulatory agenda, which contains certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulatory rulemakings (rulemakings).