Tim Warren

In early January 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued instructions for the ten weekly Special Import Quota announcements for Upland Cotton that were issued by the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. CBP also listed the dates and quantities for each of the ten. In February and March, CBP added weekly Special Quotas 22 - 26, and Special Quotas 1-4. CBP's instructions, with the new Special Quotas 5-9 are summarized below.

On April 16, 2012, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:

Some twenty staff members from the U.S. House of Representatives, including staff from the Committee on Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, visited the Port of Baltimore April 11, said a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release. The group, which included Trade Counsel, International Trade Policy Fellows, Senior Policy and Legislative Advisors, Professional Staff, and Legislative Assistants, arrived at the Customs House in Baltimore and were given an overview of Port operations by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations for the Baltimore Field Office Michael Lovejoy and Acting Port Director for Baltimore Frances Garcia.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of April 16.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner David Aguilar met with members of the trade community on April 9 and 10, 2012, telling them CBP is seeking joint solutions to improve the agency’s operations and maintain the country’s economic competitiveness, said a CBP website. Aguilar met with the American Association of Exporters and Importers, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and National Association of Manufacturers, said CBP.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection CSMS notice, the Food and Drug Administration asked that Import Trade Auxiliary Communication System (ITACS) users submit only standard entry documentation (CF3461, Invoice, Packing List, etc.) through ITACS at this time. Compliance documentation such as private lab submissions, reconditioning proposals, extension requests and copies of labeling should continue to be submitted through traditional means until we can resolve a document retrieval issue on our side.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting comments by May 17, 2012, a 30-day extension to the comment cycle, on an existing information collection on the regulations relating to recordation and enforcement of trademarks and copyrights. CBP is proposing to extend, without change, the expiration date of the information collection. The notice is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register April 17, 2012.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the maintenance activity scheduled in the ACE extended maintenance window (starting Sunday April 15, 2012 at 0500 EDT) has been completed.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said April 13, 2012, it would delay deploying ABI Air In-Bond (QX/WX). CBP said the delay is due to the deployment of the CBP priority Sea and Rail Manifest (M1) and imminent deployment of the Simplified Entry (SE) project which is the basis of Entry/Cargo Release. CBP anticipates that a very loose timeline for delivery QX/WX is July 2012. CBP will send out a CSMS Message with refinements to this timeline as other functionality deployments are completed.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is announcing the calendar year 2012 tariff-rate quota for tuna in airtight containers. It has been determined that 17,270,370 kilograms of tuna in air-tight containers may be entered and withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during the period January 1 - December 31, 2012, at the rate of 6% ad valorem under HTS subheading 1604.14.22. Any such tuna which is entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during the current calendar year in excess of this quota will be dutiable at the rate of 12.5% ad valorem under HTS subheading 1604.14.30.