U.S. Customs and Border Protection's January 25, 2012 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 5) contains four notices of ruling actions, as follows:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that on January 23, 2012, the U.S. and Canada signed a two-year extension of the 2006 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). As a result, the 2006 SLA will be in effect through October 12, 2015 (rather than through October 12, 2013).
Following the February 2008 - January 2009 AD administrative review of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam, Vietnamese producer/exporters challenged the International Trade Administration’s use of zeroing in AD administrative reviews while having abandoned the practice in investigations, and multiple Vietnamese plaintiffs also challenged the ITA’s labor rate calculations; its surrogate values work-up and surrogate financial expense calculations; its denial of a request for revocation; and its rejection of a separate rate certification due to late filing.
This is a reminder that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a frequently asked questions and answers document to provide guidance to licensed Customs brokers on the submission of the Triennial Status Report and fee. The next triennial status report, in addition to the $100 fee, should be filed by February 29, 2012.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that the 2012 annual user fee of $138 for each customs broker permit and national permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation is due by January 20, 2012.
In the January 4, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 2), CBP published a notice on its modification of a ruling and treatment regarding the tariff classification of a certain carrying cases. CBP also published a notice on its withdrawal of a revocation and modification of two rulings on the classification of a surgical light system.
In the December 28, 2011 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 1), CBP requested comments by January 27, 2012 on its proposal to more broadly allow transaction value to be used when related party sales are subject to post-importation adjustments, if five factors are met.
In the January 4, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 2), CBP published two notices that propose to revoke two rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of children's costume vests and stacking drawers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a 2009 Great Idea Form (GIF) on a request from the trade community for the ability of Customs brokers to upload employee information from an Excel spreadsheet to the ACE Portal to meet the 19 CFR Part 111 requirement to provide CBP with a list of broker employees. The GIF notes that the functionality delivered with ESAR A1 does not allow the mid to large size broker to take advantage of the ACE Portal for this requirement.
The International Trade Administration is publishing notices in the January 4, 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):