The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) has issued its March 2004 Textile and Apparel Trade Balance Report (containing data through March 31, 2004). The Trade Balance Report shows imports, exports, and the resulting U.S. trade balance for yarn, fabric, made-ups, and apparel, both individually and collectively (total). The Trade Balance report displays this information for the world, as well as for major U.S. trading partners.

CBP has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of May 25, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), which are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 05/24/04, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release and fact sheet stating that the U.S. and Bahrain have completed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA). Under the U.S.-Bahrain FTA, the U.S. and Bahrain will provide immediate duty-free access on virtually all products in their tariff schedules and will phase out tariffs on the remaining handful of products within 10 years.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS') Web site contains tables which list information on trade bans imposed by foreign countries on U.S. exports due to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and avian influenza (avian flu).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) makes available on its Web site a complete list of its informed compliance publications (ICPs), including a pdf file for each publication.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice containing its determination that, effective May 28, 2004, certain combed compact yarns, of wool or fine animal hair, classified in HTS 5107.10, 5107.20, or 5108.20, for use in apparel articles, cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA).

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that it is postponing the preliminary antidumping (AD) duty determinations on certain frozen and canned warmwater shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India, Thailand, China, and Vietnam until no later than July 2, 2004 (China and Vietnam) and July 28, 2004 (Brazil, Ecuador, India, and Thailand).

In the May 19, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 21), CBP issued notices: (a) modifying two classification rulings on metalized embroidery thread and decorative wired trim, and (b) revoking two classification rulings on karaoke machines. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.

The ITA notes that Longkou Jinzheng agreed to waive the time limits for issuance of the preliminary results of this AD duty new shipper review, in order that the ITA may conduct this AD duty new shipper review concurrent with the seventh AD duty administrative review of brake rotors from China. (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/05/04 news, 04040530 for BP summary of the initiation of the seventh AD duty administrative review.)

The Journal of Commerce reports that the DHS Bureau of Transportation and Security Directorate (BTS) Container Working Group, which is working on "secure systems of transportation" and container seals and locks, is thinking about leveraging DHS' scarce assets, including whether the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) known-shipper program can somehow help the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). The article notes that the CWG intends to present the results of its work to the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) and obtain input from technology providers. (JoC dated 05/17-23/04, www.joc.com.)