Tim Warren

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved May 22, 2012, FY2013 funding legislation for the Department of Homeland Security, totaling $45.2 billion in discretionary budget authority, a reduction of $1 billion below the FY 2012 level. According to the Senate committee's press release, the bill would provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection $11.973 billion, $378 million above fiscal year 2012. The Senate and House must still approve the appropriations bills. This level would:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said May 23, 2012 some users are finding problems when dealing with the Import Trade Auxiliary Communication System (ITACS). When documents are successfully submitted using ITACS, the confirmation message “The documents have been successfully submitted” is displayed. FDA is receiving reports of users receiving the message “The documents have been scheduled for submission.” When this message is received, the document upload fails and FDA does not receive them. FDA is actively troubleshooting this issue, said CBP. If “The documents have been scheduled for submission” message is received, you should resubmit your documents via ITACS or use alternate means of submitting documents. Contact: ITACSSupport@fda.hhs.gov

A number of questions remain for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the next locations for the next five Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), said participants at the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations meeting May 22 in Savannah, Ga. CBP will be establishing industry working groups to be co-chaired by CBP and trade to take on CEE issues, said Brenda Smith, executive director for Trade Policy and Programs in the Office of International Trade at CBP.

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

In the May 16, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No.21), CBP published two notices of its revocation of its rulings and treatment regarding the tariff classification of jingle bell wreaths and hanging decorations and trunk/cab organizers.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted an updated listed of frequently asked questions on the Centers of Excellence and Expertise. CBP officials said during the May 22, 2012 COAC meeting another update is expected shortly. The questions and answers are:

The International Sugar Trade Coalition voiced approval for the Farm Bill, recently passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee, for providing sugar producers in developing nations a guaranteed level of access to the U.S. sugar market at fair predictable prices. The ISTC wrote to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to express its support for the Farm Bill, which would extend the current sugar policy through 2017. Attempts to weaken this policy through amendments would hurt U.S. farmers and poor growers in developing countries where sugar is a key economic driver, said ISTC. An end to the sugar program would reward only a handful of large food companies and agricultural superpower like Brazil, it said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a May 21 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP also posted a version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.

In the May 16, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 21), CBP published two notices that propose to revoke two rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of certain perforating gun assemblies and the SCT Livewire flash device.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of May 21.