In the May 16, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 21), CBP published two notices that propose to revoke two rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of certain perforating gun assemblies and the SCT Livewire flash device.
In the May 16, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 21), CBP published notice that it is withdrawing its proposed revocation of a ruling on plastic recorder musical instruments due to its receipt of adverse comment. CBP also published a notice that it is withdrawing its proposed modification of a ruling on Acetyl L-Carnitine Hydrochloride, as its classification is being litigated.
The International Trade Administration is amending its regulations to end the opportunity to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order for specific companies with consecutive years of zero margins. The ITA’s final rule, which will be effective for all administrative reviews initiated on or after June 20, 2012, amends 19 CFR 351.222 to eliminate the provision for revocation of an AD or CV order for an exporter or producer based on its receipt of AD rates of zero for three consecutive years, or CV rates of zero for five consecutive years.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is considering ways to leverage Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) and offer a simplified entry process to ACAS participants by integrating with the Simplified Entry initiative, said CBP Acting Commissioner David Aguilar during testimony before a House May 17 hearing on Customs issues .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its May 16, 2012 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 21), which contains 15 notices of ruling actions. A May 16, 2012 ITT article incorrectly said there were no ruling actions in the bulletin. The ruling actions are as follows:
The Environmental Protection Agency withdrew the revocation of testing requirements for C.I. Pigment Blue 61 promulgated in a March 16, 2012, decision relating to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The March rule involved 10 chemical substances, including benzenesulfonic acid, [[4-[[4-(phenylamino)phenyl][4-(phenylimino)-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene]methyl]phenyl]amino]- (CAS No. 1324-76-1), also known as C.I. Pigment Blue 61. In the May 14 Federal Register, the EPA also restored the original testing requirements shown in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The final rule revoking testing requirements for the other 9 chemical substances described in the March 16, 2012, Federal Register document is otherwise unaffected by the withdrawal of the revocation for C.I. Pigment Blue 61, EPA said. The action came after the EPA received an adverse comment regarding C.I. Pigment Blue 61, it said. Further information: Catherine Roman, 202-564-8157 or roman.catherine@epa.gov.
The International Trade Administration issued a notice correcting its May 1 initiation of sunset review to specify that the product under review is polyester staple fiber from China (A-570-905) (first review). The ITA said the effective date of initiation is May 1, 2012, but it will consider requests from interested parties for the extension of the deadlines for filing of a notice of intent to participate, filing of a statement of waiver, and filing of a substantive response. The International Trade Commission already initiated its sunset review of polyester staple fiber on May 1.
The International Trade Administration published notices in the April May 10, 2012, Federal Register on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, the scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to establish two more Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEEs) by the end of FY 2012, and five more after that by the end of FY 2013, CBP said in an updated "Trade Transformation" document. CBP said it is planning to establish a center for Automotive and Aerospace in Detroit and a Petroleum, Natural Gas and Minerals center in Houston.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the European Union (EU) reached a Mutual Recognition (MR) Decision between CBP’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and the EU’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program May 4, 2012. An EU press release said the mutual recognition would begin July 1, 2012.