U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message stating that it will make future changes to the Automated Commercial System (ACS) to automate the reporting of diamond certificate numbers (aka 'Kimberly Process certificate' numbers) for certain diamond tariff numbers.
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 issued the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of certain welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Thailand for the period of March 1, 2002 through February 28, 2003.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of freshwater crawfish tail meat from China for the period of September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2003.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping (AD) duty determination that live swine from Canada is being, or is likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
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 October 18, 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) that are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 10/18/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
In the October 13, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 42), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking or modifying two classification rulings on certain towelettes, (b) revoking a classification ruling on calibration lamps, and (c) revoking a classification ruling on aero-derivative gas turbines. 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 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report to Congressional requesters that reviews how the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture (DOC and USDA), and the State Department pursued China's World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance in 2003.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of certain polyester staple fiber from Korea for the period of May 1, 2002 through April 30, 2003.
On October 8, 2004, the House of Representatives passed the conference version of H.R. 1047, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004. According to Congressional sources, the Senate is expected to consider the conference version of H.R. 1047 in mid-November 2004, when it returns after the election.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice regarding the misuse of licenses and filer codes that was previously issued on October 6, 2004 as an ABI administrative message. (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/08/04 news, 04100805, for BP summary of CBP's ABI administrative message on this issue.)(CBP notice available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/broker_management/misuse_licences.ctt/misuse_licences.doc.)