CIT rules in favor of Customs' classification of deodorizer distillate. In Cargill,Inc. v. U.S., the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in favor of Customs' classification of deodorizer distillate under the basket provision HTS 3824.90.2800 (6.5%) as "other mixtures containing 5% or more by weight of one or more aromatic or modified aromatic substances" rather than Cargill's classification claim of HTS 3823.19.4000 (3.2%) which provides for, among other things, "other industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids."
The General Accounting Office (GAO) has issued a report to Congressional requesters entitled, Federal Advisory Committees: Additional Guidance Could Help Agencies Better Ensure Independence and Balance.
On May 26, 2004, the U.S. Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) held a news conference to discuss an increased terrorist threat to the U.S. over the next few months.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site Amendments 5 (dated April 2004) and 6 (dated April 28, 2004) to the Customs Automated Manifest Interface Requirements (CAMIR) for air (CAMIR-Air).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) makes available on its Web site a complete list of its informed compliance publications (ICP), including a pdf file for each publication.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a general exclusion order, two limited exclusion orders, and cease and desist orders in its Section 337 investigation of certain agricultural vehicles and components thereof (Inv. 337-TA-487). The ITC has also announced that this investigation is terminated.
These preliminary results are not in effect and may be amended in the final results of these CV duty administrative reviews which are currently due within 120 days of May 11, 2004.
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) revoking a classification ruling on tennis briefs, and (b) revoking four classification rulings on paper trimmers. 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 International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that it is postponing the preliminary countervailing (CV) duty determination on live swine from Canada until no later than August 16, 2004 (from June 11, 2004).
The Wall Street Journal reports that the European Union and Russia have reached agreement on the terms for Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). The article notes that Russia must still conclude agreements with any WTO members that demand them, and has to negotiate deals with other big trading partners such as China and Japan. In addition, the article reports that the U.S. has said that it is still a long way from reaching a WTO accession deal with Russia. (WSJ dated 05/24/04, www.wsj.com)