On July 14, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4418, the Customs Border Security and Trade Agencies Authorization Act of 2004.
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 its final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of fresh cut flowers from Mexico for the review period of April 1, 1991 through March 31, 1992, as there is now a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Panel notice of final action which affects Rancho El Aguaje (Aguaje), Rancho Guacatay (Guacatay), and Rancho El Toro (Toro).
On July 14, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4418, the Customs Border Security and Trade Agencies Authorization Act of 2004.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (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 July 20, 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), which are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 07/20/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
On July 14, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4418, the Customs Border Security and Trade Agencies Authorization Act of 2004.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued to the ports and posted to its Web site separate instructions regarding (1) the use of visas to make claims for duty-free treatment under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for qualifying textile and/or apparel articles (textile articles) from Nigeria that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after July 14, 2004, and (2) quota reporting for certain apparel articles from Nigeria that are subject to the AGOA aggregate tariff preference level (TPL) and its sublimit.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued its final results of the changed circumstances antidumping (AD) duty review of automotive replacement glass windshields from China, concluding that Shenzhen CSG Automotive Glass Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen CSG) is the successor-in-interest to Shenzhen Benxun AutoGlass Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Benxun).
On July 14, 2004, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4759, the "U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act." On July 15, 2004, the Senate passed H.R. 4759, clearing the measure for the President.
In the July 14, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 29), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke two classification rulings on textile pillow covers with zipper closures, and (b) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on certain nonwoven man-made material for use in blood filtration. CBP states that it is also proposing to revoke any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
According to an article in the American Shipper, the insurance market is wary of issuing customs bonds for Chinese agricultural shipments due to an epidemic of fraud by importers of some agricultural goods (e.g. mushrooms, crawfish tail meat, honey and fresh garlic) from China seeking to avoid high U.S. antidumping duties. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/13/04 news, 04071305 for BP summary of new CBP guidelines for bonds for agriculture/aquaculture goods subject to antidumping duties.) (American Shipper 07/04)