International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.

A proposed formula for apportioning the value of tooling assists to imported auto parts can’t be used by an importer because it doesn’t take into consideration the country of origin of the imported parts and so fails to account for the possibility that they could be subject to additional Section 301 and Section 232 duties, CBP said in a ruling released March 27.

Starting April 18, consumers buying electric cars and trucks manufactured in North America that do not have enough friend-shored critical minerals or North American battery components no longer will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit.

The statute of limitations in customs penalties runs from the date of entry, not from the date that the importer directed the violation to be committed, the Court of International Trade said in a March 31 decision that denied a motion to dismiss a fraud case against Florida businessman Zhe "John" Liu (U.S. v. Zhe "John" Liu, CIT # 22-00215).

CBP should extend the maximum in-transit time for merchandise from 30 to 60 days, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee said in a recommendation adopted at its March 29 quarterly meeting. The extension would "harmonize that threshold across all modes" and help better accommodate movements requiring extra transit time, which would lessen the need to request extensions, the COAC said.

CBP is delaying new entry summary requirements to report the countries of smelt and cast for imports of aluminum and aluminum derivatives by 30 days to “allow additional time for the trade to update their software programming and systems to comply with these new reporting requirements,” CBP said in a March 30 CSMS message.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai reassured the members of the National Council of Textile Organizations that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has no interest in loosening rules of origin for clothing made in Central America and the Dominican Republic. Some have argued that the CAFTA-DR has not lived up to its potential because its rules are too restrictive (see 2112030045 and 2104140047).

The Fish and Wildlife Service is suspending all commercial trade in endangered and threatened species with Mexico, implementing a recommendation from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that came as a result of Mexico’s failure to develop an acceptable plan to protect the vaquita porpoise, the FWS said in a notice dated March 27.

The Court of International Trade on March 29 dismissed a lawsuit from cell phone case maker Otter Products seeking interest on customs duty overpayments, finding it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. Judge Claire Kelly held that the Administrative Procedure Act waiver of sovereign immunity only applies to interest on deposits linked with liquidated entries. As a result, there is no specific waiver of immunity related to Otter's claim for interest for its overpayments on tendered prior disclosures "under the no-interest rule," Kelly said.

After Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., heard from automakers that they ask their suppliers to pledge that they do not source inputs made with forced labor, he turned his attention to tier 1 suppliers to the major automakers, and is asking them the same questions he asked the eight major automakers back in December (see 2212220045). Although he asked automakers to detail how they do supply chain mapping, and asked if any of their goods have been subject to forced labor detentions, the companies did not reply with details.