CBP provided more detail on factors it will consider when determining whether a customs broker is employing a “sufficient” number of licensed brokers under its new responsible supervision and control framework from the Part 111 rewrite (see 2210170071), in fact sheet released Oct. 19.
Customs Duty
A Customs Duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs Duty Rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight.
A domestic producer coalition seeks the imposition of new antidumping duties on paper file folders from China, India and Vietnam, and new countervailing duties on paper file folders from India, they said in a petition filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission Oct. 12. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CVD orders and the assessment of AD and CVD on importers.
Trade participants in the 21st Century Customs Framework “focus group” are set to meet with CBP and other government officials Oct. 17 and 18 to discuss a series of proposed statutory changes developed over recent weeks that aim to incorporate facilitation measures into upcoming customs modernization legislation.
In the Oct. 12 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 56, No. 40), CBP published a proposal to revoke one ruling on metal storage lockers and another on cylinder heads.
A U.S. producer coalition seeks the imposition of new antidumping duties on freight rail couplers from China and Mexico and countervailing duties on the same product from China, it said in petitions filed Sept. 28 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CVD orders and the assessment of AD/CVD on importers. The investigations were requested by the Coalition of Freight Coupler Producers.
African Growth and Opportunity Act benefits for Kenya need to continue as any trade partnership is formed, commenters said, especially the third-country fabric rule of origin.
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.
Ghacham, a Paramount, California-based clothing wholesale company, agreed to plead guilty to criminally undervaluing imported garments in a scheme to skirt nearly $6.4 million in customs duties, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced Sept. 20. The scheme was also meant to hide the company's business with a woman in Mexico who has ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
CBP released on Sept. 19 the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. For the quarter to begin Oct. 1, the interest rates for overpayments will be 5% for corporations and 6% for non-corporations, and the interest rate for underpayments is 6% for both corporations and non-corporations. That's up from 4%, 5% and 5% in the previous quarter, respectively (see 2207010031). These interest rates are subject to change for the following quarter, CBP said.
As the finish line comes into sight for discussions with CBP on enforcement-related agency “challenge areas” under the 21st Century Customs Framework (21CCF), trade community participants now seek to steer the discourse toward facilitation and modernization opportunities that may prove crucial to getting buy-in from the trade industry.