Tim Warren

The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis released the February 2012 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report April 12, 2012. The report showed February exports of $181.2 billion and imports of $227.2 billion, leaving a goods and services deficit of $46 billion, up $0.6 billion from February 2011. The report shows that February exports were $0.2 billion more and February imports were $6.3 billion less than January levels. Exports of services increased $0.8 and imports of services increased $0.2 billion. However, from February 2011 to February 2012, imports were up 7.6% and exports were up 9.3%.

Kelly Herman, senior attorney advisor at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, joined Venable as of counsel in the firm's International Trade Practice.

A recently released U.S. Customs and Border Protection February 23 Implementation Guide for Messaging Interface between International Trade Data System Trade Partners and the CBP Document Image System (DIS) for importers and brokers provides extensive technical details on the messaging processes. The document, numbered ITDS-DIS-IG-1.2.6, says For Official Use Only. CBP recently began the first phase of DIS testing for Importers and Brokers using ACE.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosted meetings at the initial three ports which will be piloting Simplified Entry. The meetings provided bi-directional education for both CBP and the Trade on how Simplified Entries will flow in the Air Mode of Transportation (MOT). The Simplified Entry visits were held at all three pilot ports: the Fed Ex hub in Indianapolis, Ind. on March 14th, the Chicago, Ill. Field Office on March 16th, and the Atlanta, Ga. Field Office on March 19th.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking comments by June 11, 2012, on an existing information collection on lien notices for freight. CBP is proposing to extend this information collection with a change to the burden hours or information collected.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a reminder of the Sept. 29, 2012, effective date for required use of ACE e-Manifest for advance Rail and Sea cargo information and automated broker interface in-bond transactions. As of April 6, 1,872 importers, brokers or software providers have finished certification testing, 705 are currently testing, and 322 have moved to ACE production, according to the reminder. Importers, brokers and software providers that aren't among those groups and file advance rail and sea cargo information or ABI in-bond transactions should contact their client representative, the reminder said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there was an incident in ACE M1 Production on April 10 between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. EST that resulted in some Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) messages failing for 096 RUN HAS BEEN TERMINATED errors. CBP said the issue has been resolved and to re-submit any input jobs that resulted in that message.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources said the first phase of Document Image System (DIS) testing for importers and brokers using ACE began on April 6. CBP also released a February 23 Implementation Guide for Messaging Interface between International Trade Data System Trade Partners and the CBP Document Image System (DIS) for importers and brokers. The document, numbered ITDS-DIS-IG-1.2.6, says For Official Use Only. CBP recently began the first phase of DIS testing for Importers and Brokers using ACE.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will seek comments on an extension of existing information gathering regarding Cargo Container and Road Vehicle Certification for Transport under Customs Seal, according to a notice published in the Federal Register April 10. Comments are due June 11. CBP proposes the extension of time without change to the burden hours.

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