According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources, the recent amendment to 19 USC 1505(a) providing 12 working days to deposit estimated duties (from 10 working days), is a "technical amendment" and does not affect the actual time line for the deposit of estimated duties.
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.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has amended the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review on certain softwood lumber products from Canada for the period of May 22, 2002 through April 30, 2003 in order to correct ministerial errors made in the final results margin calculations.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has published in the January 25, 2005 Federal Register its antidumping (AD) duty order on certain crepe paper products from China. The ITA also states that the International Trade Commission (ITC) has made a final negative critical circumstances determination (thereby reversing the ITA's preliminary affirmative critical circumstances determination).
Washington Trade Daily reports that the European Union (EU) is expected to lift sanctions by the end of January 2005 on certain U.S. products imposed in a dispute over the recently-repealed U.S. Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC)/FSC Replacement and Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Act (ETI) tax regime. According to the article, the regulations to repeal the sanctions are expected to enter into force on February 1, 2005, but will be retroactive to January 1, 2005 (i.e., duties paid in January 2005 will be reimbursed). The article notes that the EU's regulations leave the door open to reimposition of sanctions if the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that the U.S.' FSC/ETI repeal legislation does not comply with earlier WTO rulings. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/13/05 news, 05011310, for BP summary on the EU's beginning of the process to lift additional duties against certain U.S. products.) (WTD dated 01/24/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site an updated summary of changes to the June 2004 version of the Automated Export System (AES) Technical Interface Requirements (AESTIR). According to this summary, the most recent changes to the AESTIR are as follows:
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued its final results of the changed circumstances review of the AD duty order on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Japan. In these final results, the ITA has determined to revoke in part the AD duty order on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Japan with respect to nickel-plated steel foil, effective January 14, 2005.
In the January 12, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 3), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking two classification rulings on certain dinnerware (stoneware, flatware, and glassware) sets, and (b) revoking a classification ruling on a men's cotton denim woven shirt-jacket. 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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing that the first staged entry period for overshipments of the safeguard quotas on China cats 222, 349/649, and 350/650 for exports during the December 24, 2003 through December 23, 2004 period will open1 on January 24, 2005 at 12:00 p.m. EST or its equivalent in other time zones at the following approximate levels:
Shippers NewsWire reports that at the recent 2004 Trade Symposium, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Bonner told reporters that CBP is ready to take the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) to the next level by offering "C-TPAT Plus," as an incentive for low-risk shippers to do more. According to the article, CBP security programs and confidence in certain shippers has evolved to the point that a "green lane" is now feasible. (SNW dated 01/14/05, www.americanshipper.com .)
The Treasury Department (Treasury) has published its semi-annual regulatory agenda, which contains certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulatory rulemakings (rulemakings).