U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a November 10, 2004 version of its September 13, 2004 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and responses regarding the mandatory advance electronic cargo information requirements for trucks.
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 three ABI administrative messages announcing that the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is being modified to accept certificate numbers in the entry summary record identifier 52 record (input) in the miscellaneous permit/license number field (positions 30-38) when a claim is made under the following:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a proposed rule that would amend 49 CFR Parts 1540, 1542, 1544, 1546, and 1548 in order to enhance and improve the security of air cargo transportation. TSA believes the proposed regulatory requirements in this proposed rule would impose significant barriers to terrorists seeking to use the air cargo transportation system for malicious purposes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a final rule, effective December 2, 2004, which adds a new 19 CFR 10.91 to the Customs regulations in order to establish regulatory procedures and requirements pursuant to the Product Development and Testing Act of 2000 (PDTA), regarding the duty-free entry of articles, commonly referred to as prototypes (for any industry), that are to be used exclusively in product development, testing, evaluation or quality control.
In the November 3, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 45), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on men's shirts of bamboo fabric, and (b) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on small chocolate lentils. 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.
The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) has issued a Textile Development Memo stating that on November 8, 2004, the U.S. industry filed another China textile safeguard petition, this time for synthetic filament fabrics (Cat 620). (TDM, dated 11/08/04, www.usaita.com)
According to a U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) Textile Development Memo, on November 3, 2004 the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) announced its decision to accept five petitions requesting safeguard quotas on the following China categories: Cat 338/339 (cotton knit tops), Cat 340/640 (men's and boys' cotton and man-made fiber (MMF) woven shirts), Cat 352/652 (cotton and MMF underwear), Cat 638/639 (MMF knit tops), and Cat 647/648 (MMF trousers and shorts). (TDM, dated 11/04/04, www.usaita.com)
During the September 10, 2004 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) Implementation Subcommittee1 outlined its recommendations regarding the MTSA requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) establish " a program to evaluate and certify secure systems of international intermodal transportation."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a November 2004 version of its Compliance Policy Guide (Guide) on the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strategy for enforcing the requirements of the interim final rule for submitting prior notice (PN) for imported food.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice announcing PNSI Version 1.5, which is scheduled for release on November 6, 2004.