Special Trade Alerts |
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( 1/30/2008 )
U.S. Customs Intends to Reinvent U.S. Value Law:
On January 24, 2008, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) published a notice of its intention to reinterpret the value statute 19 U.S.C. 1401a in a way which will require goods to be assessed ad valorem duties based on the last sale prior to importation of the goods into the United State... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 1/25/08 )
CUSTOMS PROPOSES TO SHAKE THE FOUNDATION OF VALUE LAW
In a January 24, 2008 notice in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced its proposal to reinvent the value law by eliminating the “first sale rule.” That rule has allowed importers to use the price paid to the manufacturer by a middleman, instead of
the p... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 1/18/08 )
CBP Proposal Puts 9801.00.20 Claims in Jeopardy
On Jan. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed to revoke and modify rulings relating to HTSUS 9801.00.20. This subheading provides for duty-free treatment where goods were imported into the U.S. and duty paid, exported under lease or similar use agreements and then reimported in... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 01/08/08 )
CBP Issues Proposed Rule on “10+2” Cargo Security Filing
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is currently seeking approval by March 3 on a proposed rule that would establish 12 additional data elements that would require importers and ocean carriers to submit before ocean borne cargo is brought into the U.S. This Security Filing proposal is... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 12/31/07 )
CBP Seizes 115 Cartons of Counterfeit Belts from China
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on November 26, 2007 the seizure at the port of Seattle of counterfeit designer fashion belts from China worth more than $2 million in retail value. The shipment, containing over 20,000 fake Coach belts in 115 cartons, was subject to a gamma... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 12/03/2007 )
Textile and Apparel Detention Policy Modified for ISA Importers
On November 13, 2007, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a memorandum to its field offices, which announced the modification of its detention and penalty policy for
certain textile and apparel shipments. It provides that while shipments identified based upon the fin... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 11/19/2007 )
Customs and Counterfeiting
Currently, there are one million Customs officers around the world who make up the combined force of all the WCO’s Member administrations and who deal with an annual
flow of 400 million containers. This number is actually increasing by 10% each year. The increase in world trade has generated an unprecedented ... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 10/29/2007 )
CBP Announces that U.S. Customs Will Perform C-TPAT Validations in China
The Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently stated that the Chinese Minister of Customs, Mu Xinsheng, and the Chinese Government, had approved
Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (“C-TPAT”) validations of importer supply chains, in Chi... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 10/15/2007 )
FBI Investigates Forwarders
On October 10, 2007, The FBI invaded one of Schenker’s New York facilities in Freeport, Long Island near JFK International Airport.... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 10/05/2007 )
Announcement of Changes for 5106 Address Validations in ACE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an ABI administrative message stating that on September 25, 2007, an update was completed on the 5106 address validation tool, which is used for Importer ID Input Records within the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 09/21/2007 )
CBP Issues Reminders on GN 15 Exemptions and Over-Quota Safeguards for TRQ Agricultural Products
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently issued two reminders on tariff rate quota agricultural products for both exemptions under Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)
General Note (GN) 15 and over-quota safeguards under HTS heading 9904.... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 07/09/2007 )
CBP to Alter PEAS and Stop Usage of SILs
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced that starting on September 20,2007, its Post-Entry Amendment Processing (PEA) test will be modified and that CBP will cease to accept Supplementary Information Letters (SILs). It will also extend the PEA test for an additional year starting on ... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 10/08/2007 )
CBP has stated that completed CBP 301 bond forms with printed liability limitations connected with the surety or surety agent are no longer acceptable. Surety and Surety agent approvals are recorded with CBP by a separate and distinct process. Printed limitation can therefore cause unnecessary confusion as well as mislead parties who use that for... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 19/07/2007 )
The House of Representations recently passed H.R. 2638, which is the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security for the 2008 fiscal year, on June 15, 2007. Included in this bill are several provisions related to Customs and Borders Protection.... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 04/07/2007 )
GSP Changes Implemented: President Bush issued a Presidential Proclamation modifying the duty free allowance for various products under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Effective July 1, 2007, certain products from Colombia (flowers, certain sweet potatoes, methyl ethyl, and certain leather, hat, and lead bullion), Peru (bean... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 22/06/2007 )
Extension of Andean Trade Duty Free Treatment Possible: U.S. Congressional authorities indicated that during the last week of June they will consider a bill to extend the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) through September 30, 2009. ATPA benefits will expire on June 30th barring an extension by that date. Eligible entries from Bolivia, Colombia,... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 04/03/2007 )
COUNTERVAILING DUTIES IMPOSED ON CHINA FOR
FIRST TIME
On March 30, 2007, the U.S. Commerce Department (Commerce) reversed its long standing policy when it announced its affirmative preliminary decision to impose, for the first time ever, countervailing duties (CVD) on a product from China. Countervailing duties are designed to offset ... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 3/6/2007 )
CAFTA IMPLEMENTED FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
President Bush issued a Presidential Proclamation to implement the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) with respect to the Dominican Republic.
... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 02/15/2007 )
Recent action in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) challenges the constitutionality of applying duties on merchandise based on gender and age where the duty rates on similar items are different for men, women, and children.
Allegations that different duty rates based on gender or age are discriminatory and in violation of the U.S... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 01/31/2007 )
U.S. CBP EXPANDS USE OF QUICK RESPONSE AUDITS
A Quick Response Audit (also known as a “QRA”) is a single-issue, narrowly focused audit performed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on importers and exporters of products into the United States. Quick Response Audits are designed to address specific objectives within a short period ... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 01/29/2007 )
POTENTIAL REFUNDS ON POSSIBLE DISCRIMINATORY CLASSIFICATIONS
A case recently filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) regarding the constitutionality of gender-based duty rates may require the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to refund duties paid on a host of imported merchandise.
... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 12/19/2006 )
2007 CHANGES TO THE HARMONIZED TARIFF CODE
Concurrent with the tariff changes recently adopted by the World Customs Organization (WCO), hundreds of changes are about to take effect to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
Changes to the HTSUS will affect 83 of the 97 tariff chapters, encompassing hundreds... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 12/18/2006 )
HTSUS Changes Are Delayed Past January 1, 2007: The scheduled changes to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff System (HTSUS) will be delayed at least until sometime in February 2007. The Presidential Proclamation and Federal Register notice announcing the changes will not occur until after Congress returns from its year-end vacation in January 2007. The c... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 08/2006 )
·Fruit, Vegetable, and Fish Nutrition Labeling: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration(FDA) issued a final rule effective January 1, 2008, updating and amending its nutrition and labeling rules for the 20 most frequently consumed fruits, vegetables, and fish.
· Beef Assessment Rate Decreases: Effective September 15, 2005, the U.S. Department of Ag... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 08/28/2006 )
CIT Reaffirms Duty Free Rates For Restive ARticles Makes No Exception for Utilitarian Uses... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 08/16/2006 )
Comments Sought on Possible Important Changes to the GSP Program
... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 05/2006 )
New Congressional Bills Affect C-TPAT & The Supply Chain... View Full Alert (PDF)
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( 05/2006 )
ITC finds that Mixed Wax Candles Circumvent Antidumping Order on Petroleum Wax Candles... View Full Alert (PDF)
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