Customs brokers play a central role in the Energy Department’s plans to require submission of “certifications of admissibility” data elements in the Automated Commercial Environment at time of entry for products subject to energy efficiency standards, said DOE officials speaking at a workshop held Feb. 19 in Washington. A key motive behind the agency’s proposal is that it will prompt brokers to ask their importer clients whether products included in a given entry are subject to energy efficiency standards, forcing the importer to consider whether testing and certification are required, they said.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito is Managing Editor of International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The Court of International Trade allowed CBP to proceed with enhanced bonding requirements on an importer of garlic from China, finding on Feb. 11 that a preliminary antidumping duty rate calculated by the Commerce Department is sufficient basis to mandate a high single transaction bond. Premier Trading had requested an injunction, arguing Commerce’s decision was premature until the final results of an AD duty administrative review set an actual final rate. But CIT said Premier failed to cite specific laws and evidence in favor of the injunction, criticizing a “lack of candor” by the company’s lawyer.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Feb. 8-14:
Importers are seeing an increase in requests for certificates of compliance by the Consumer Product Safety Commission due to a general effort to enhance enforcement as well as recent targeted sampling on toys, said Jim Joholske, CPSC’s acting director of import surveillance, during a Feb. 9 conference call with members of the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
No lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Feb. 1-7.
More changes are on the way for the Food and Drug Administration’s supplemental guide for filing in the Automated Commercial Environment, but the changes are meant to ease, not add to the burden on industry, said Sandra Abbott, director of FDA’s Division of Compliance Systems, during a webinar hosted by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America on Feb. 3. The basic data elements that will become mandatory Feb. 28 are set, but FDA still needs to fix bugs that are causing hiccups for filers, she said.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 25-31:
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 18-24:
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 11-17:
Members of the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) reiterated calls for the agency to take an informed compliance approach to implementation of the Automated Commercial Environment, and possibly delay enforcement for certain capabilities that are set to become mandatory at the end of February, at the group’s quarterly meeting held Jan. 13 in New Orleans.