The World Customs Organization (WCO) has issued an amending supplement (No. 5, dated February 2004) to the Harmonized System (HS) Explanatory Notes (ENs). (Although not binding by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the ENs are followed by CBP whenever possible.)
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.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of its administrative review of the countervailing (CV) duty order on certain pasta from Italy for the review period of January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002.
According to ShippersNewsWire, in recently released figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as of November 15, 2004, 127 importers were in the Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS) program, and had paid $126.5 million in duties and fees on 27,777 import entries. (ShippersNewsWire@americanshipper.com, dated 12/06/04)
In the December 1, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 49), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on men's short sleeve oversized nylon pullover garments, and (b) proposing to revoke or modify four classification rulings on certain extruded polyethylene or polypropylene mesh or plastic. 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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a comparison of various trade agreements and trade programs. The trade agreements/programs compared in the document are the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Singapore FTA (SFTA), the Chile FTA (UCFTA, or CFTA), and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a final rule (CBP Dec. 04-40), effective December 30, 2004, which adopts with minor changes two interim rules (T.D. 01-74 and CBP Dec. 03-29) regarding standards for preferential treatment for brassieres imported under the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message to ABI filers stating that it will collect a mango fee of $0.005 per pound ( cent per pound), effective January 3, 2005.
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that on November 30, 2004, Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, sent his letter of resignation to President Bush. The article states that Ridge expressed his desire to continue to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security until February 1, 2005 or until the Senate confirms his successor. (JoC Online dated 11/30/04, www.joc.com.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site the Summer 2004 issue of its "ACE Modernization Monitor" newsletter. This issue contains articles on the increased activity and expanded access to ACE; the initial results of the ACE Periodic Payment (Release 3) User Acceptance Testing (UAT) pilot; the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS') integration into ACE/ITDS; etc. (Summer 2004 Modernization Monitor (Volume 4) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/about/modernization/mod_monitor_summer_2004.ctt/mod_monitor_summer_2004.pdf)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its fifth version (dated November 5, 2004) of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information for inbound air cargo.