According to Reuters, on September 27, 2004, the World Trade Organization (WTO) launched a probe into a complaint by the European Union (EU) that the U.S. had failed to drop illegal import duties on certain EU steel products from Britain, France and Spain. The article states that the panel request followed consultations where the EU stated that the U.S. had not removed all safeguard duties, while the U.S. stated that they had been adjusted after the WTO ruled them illegal two years ago. (Reuters dated 09/27/04, available at http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=6344486 )
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.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting comments on adding several types of goods (e.g., ten HTS numbers for certain cheese, peaches, mandarins, and clementines in Chapters 4, 8, and 20) to its previously published list of goods whose duties may be increased in the event the U.S. cannot reach agreement with the European Union (EU) for adequate compensation owed under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules as a result of May 2004 EU enlargement and EU changes to its rice import regime.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing the 2004/2005 quantities of certain knit apparel, described below, that are eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) pursuant to HTS 9820.11.09 and 9820.11.12.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has stated in an earlier message that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Acceleration Act of 2004 (Public Law (P.L.) 108-274, AGOA III) provides for retroactive AGOA II (The Trade Act of 2002) and retroactive AGOA III benefits for eligible textiles and apparel that were imported directly from an AGOA beneficiary country and entered on or after October 1, 2000 and before July 13, 2004.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing the aggregate quantity of apparel that is eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) when made from ATPDEA beneficiary country (i.e., Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru) fabric, fabric components, or components knit-to-shape, etc. from ATPDEA/U.S. yarns, as specified in HTS 9821.11.25 and U.S. notes 3(d) and 3(e) to Subchapter XXI below:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its instructions for claiming the new benefits available under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Acceleration Act of 2004 (Public Law (P.L.) 108-274), for eligible textiles and apparel entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after July 13, 2004.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing the 2004/2005 quantities of apparel made from African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) fabric and/or AGOA/U.S. yarn, or apparel made from any fabric or yarn, that are eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the AGOA pursuant to HTS 9819.11.09 and/or 9819.11.12 as amended1by the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 (AGOA III):
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site information on its new Electronic Certification System (eCERT) that will use electronic data transmissions of information normally associated with a required export document, such as a license or certificate, to facilitate the administration of quotas (e.g., tariff preference levels (TPLs) and tariff rate quotas (TRQs)).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that on September 14, 2004, CBP Commissioner Bonner was presented with the Maritime Security Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his proposing such programs as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), the Container Security Initiative (CSI), etc. (CBP press release, dated 09/14/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/09142004.xml)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on September 14, 2004, the U.S. and Bahrain signed the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA).