Tim Warren

This summary report highlights the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s March 26, 2012 “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” It also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly March 26, 2012 “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”¹

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and TSA have released their Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Pilot Strategic Plan. ACAS allows CBP and TSA to receive advance security filing cargo data as a means to target cargo shipments inbound to the United States that may be high risk and require additional physical screening under the appropriate regulatory framework and protocols. According to CBP, ACAS will allow express carriers, passenger air carriers, freight forwarders, and all-cargo air carriers to send and receive security filing data through CBP's Automated Targeting System (ATS).

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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its Trade Newsletter for the 2012 second quarter. The newsletter provides and update on Re-engineering Dumping efforts, CBP's Text/Apparel Policy division meetings around the U.S. and expectations for information on the final tuna quota limit. The newsletter also said the COAC will meet in Savannah, Georgia in May.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of April 2, 2012.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its March 28 Customs Bulletin. While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does list recent information collection notices, gauger notices, and recent Court of International Trade decisions.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted an updated version of its TRQ/TPL "threshold to fill" list, a quick reference to monitor TRQs and TPLs that are approaching their restraint limit or have filled their in-quota (low) rate. The list is divided into two sections: those that are at least 85% filled and those that are filled.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released details on the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Pilot Strategic Plan. The document describes the multi-phased approach for implementation that is expected to take about 28 months. The six phases are:

The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) urged the Agriculture Department to increase the tariff rate quota (TRQ) for sugar soon, noting that the first day the USDA can make such changes was April 1. The March 28, 2012, letter from SUA to Michael Scuse, acting under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the USDA, said the U.S. market needs additional supplies of sugar and a TRQ increase is the only way to provide supplies at reasonable prices. The USDA must consider a disappointing season of Mexican production and imports as well as strong demand for sugar in the U.S., it said. While helpful and appropriate, a TRQ reallocation alone would be insufficient to deal with the supply problems and to mini maze shortfalls the USDA shouldn't lowball its TRQ increase, the SUA said. One market analyst said additional imports of 728,000-961,000 short tons, raw value, will be necessary, said the SUA.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the regular ACE Maintenance Window (Saturday 2300 EDT - Sunday 0500 EDT) was to be extended on Sunday, April 1, 2012. The extended window was scheduled from 0500 EDT - 0930 EDT. CBP also said the March 31, 2012 maintenance window scheduled for 23:00 EDT (11pm) began earlier at 22:15 EDT (10:15pm).