Tim Warren

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:

CBP said it will seek to modify CBP Form 5106 to "more proactively collect information about importers that can be vetted by CBP." The Form 5106 revisions will apply only to new importers and others requiring an importer number for doing business with CBP, it said. CBP recently posted written responses to questions that came up in its June 7 Webinar exploring an update on broker regulations.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) voiced concern with the Department of Homeland Security's proposed continued exemption of the Automated Targeting System (ATS) from provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold webinars on the CBP Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Document Imaging System (DIS) Testing, said CBP in a CSMS message. EPA is seeking participants for this first phase of DIS, which begins in July.

CBP held Webinars on June 13 and 14 to help prepare industry during the ongoing six month transition for ACE e-Manifest: Rail and Sea. Effective September 29, 2012, ACE will be the only approved EDI for transmitting required advance rail and sea cargo information and ABI in-bond transactions to CBP. The June 14th Webinar is available (here).

CBP has posted an updated version of its points of contact document for the Remote Location Filing program. The document lists the port name; port code; and contact name, phone number, and fax number.

The CBP Import Specialist Enforcement Team at the Laredo Port of Entry seized a commercial shipment of jeans valued at $193,800 that was discovered to infringe on the Levi Strauss and Co. registered trademark, said the agency.

Public comments on products for inclusion in the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) were due June 22. The comments will eventually be publicly available and a House Ways and Means Committee spokeswoman said the committee "will get them up as soon as we can."

CBP said the joint pilot conducted with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to test the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) e-Manifest: Rail and Sea (M1) functionality was a success. The Coast Guard became the first Participating Government Agency (PGA) to successfully navigate ACE M1 in production during a series of operational trials in May piloted in Charleston, SC, said CBP. The trials will result in better targeting capability of high risk cargo, improved communication to the trade community, and greater border security.

CBP said the third quarter 2012 (July 1 - Sept. 30) Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties are: 2% for overpayments by corporations; 3% for overpayments by non-corporations; and 3% for underpayments. These rates are unchanged from the corresponding rates in effect for the second quarter of calendar year 2012. The CBP Federal Register notice ran June 26.