The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release stating that it has asserted its World Trade Organization (WTO) rights and notified the WTO of its intent to increase certain tariffs because it has not reached agreement with the European Union (EU) over access to the European rice market.
Customs duty
A customs duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs duty rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight. U.S. customs duties are listed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a memorandum containing its instructions on the filing and substantiation of claims for preferential tariff treatment made under the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (UAFTA), as highlighted below.
International Trade Commission (ITC) sources have confirmed that the ITC has posted a corrected electronic 2005 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) to its Web site. This new version corrects the PDF formatting problems with the electronic version of the 2005 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) previously posted to the ITC's Web site.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the 2005 low-duty tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)/Mexico peanuts provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter VI, U.S. Note 16, which opened on Monday, January 3, 2005, did not oversubscribe at the opening. Therefore, all entries presented at opening have been charged and may be released. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/22/04 news, 04122235 2, for BP summary on CBP's notice announcing this 2005 TRQ.) (QBT-05-501, dated 01/06/05, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2005/05_501.ctt/05_501.doc)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for Canadian cheddar cheese as provided for in HTS Chapter 4, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 18, which opened on Monday, January 3, 2005, did not oversubscribe at the opening. Therefore, all entries presented at opening have been charged and may be released. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/04/05 news, 05010445 6, for BP summary on CBP's notice announcing this 2005 TRQ.) (QBT-05-500, dated 01/05/05, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2005/05_500.ctt/05_500.doc)
The Wall Street Journal reports that the duties China will levy on certain categories of apparel exports (coats, skirts, knit shirts, nonknit shirts, pajamas and underwear) seem unlikely to satisfy the governments in the U.S. or Europe intent on protecting their industries from an expected flood of Chinese-made garments. The article states that almost all categories will have duties of just 20 fen per item, with several persons quoted as stating that the tax (which Chinese companies can absorb and/or pass on to customers) is just a political or token measure, and will do little to slow exports. (WJS, dated 12/28/04, www.wsj.com )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a preliminary "low duty" tariff rate quota (TRQ) limit of 19,289,046 kg. for tuna and skipjack, in airtight containers, not in oil, in containers weighing with their contents not over 7 kg. each, for the January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 period.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice to its Web site which lists the calendar year 2005 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for imports from Singapore of certain cotton or MMF apparel goods, or apparel goods subject to cotton or MMF restraints, the foregoing that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in Singapore from fabric or yarn produced or obtained outside the territory of Singapore or of the U.S. ("3rd Country").
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted separate notices to its Web site which list the calendar year 2005 Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) for certain textiles and apparel from Canada and Mexico. These 2005 TPLs are set at the same levels as the 2004 TPL levels (with the exception of one Mexico TPL which expired, see below).