The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved April 19, 2012, a 2013 appropriations draft bill to fund the new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC). The bill would give $24.2 million to the Commerce Department and $1.8 million to the USTR for the creation of ITEC, equaling the administration's full requested amount of $26 million. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and related agencies proposed the bill earlier this week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said April 20, 2012, that some ACE Reports do not contain the most up to date data. The affected reports include: all Entry Summary reports, all Declaration reports (under the Account Management folder), and AD-8027 (Trade Aged Liquidation ADCVD Entry Summary Report). The data load is continuing to run and CBP anticipates reports to be up to date by April 21, 2012 at 0800 EDT (8am). A subsequent message will be distributed when the data load is complete.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted an updated version of its spreadsheet of ACE ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Types) programming issues.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress for April 18, 2012:
On April 18, 2012, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
The Commerce Department will expand the SelectUSA program in an effort to increase support of advanced manufacturing and aid exporters, said Commerce Secretary John Bryson during a April 19, 2012, House Subcommittee on Commerce Manufacturing and Trade hearing on American Manufacturing. SelectUSA, which was created through executive order last year, coordinates existing resources and functions across all Federal agencies that have operations relevant to business investment decisions, said Bryson. As a central point of contact within the U.S. government, SelectUSA serves as an advocate and ombudsman for the investor community, he said.
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist gave his support for the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) process. The MTB is essential to providing relief to America’s beleaguered producers and consumers, said Norquist in a letter to Congress. By reducing or eliminating duties on imports, the MTB lowers input costs for domestic manufactures, which increases the competitiveness of American goods and puts additional savings in the pockets of consumers, the letter said.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) pushed for a high-standard Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement April 18, 2012, that will increase U.S. competitiveness and help American businesses create jobs through increased exports to some of the world’s most dynamic economies, said a press release from Baucus' office. At an event with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP, House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) and Ambassadors from the TPP partner countries, Baucus highlighted the opportunity the agreement presents for the U.S. economy. The event was hosted by U.S. Business Coalition for TPP.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will update its list of airports approved to accept aircraft traveling to or from Cuba, according to a notice to be published in the Federal Register April 20, 2012. Part 122, subpart O, of the CBP regulations sets forth special procedures that apply to all aircraft (except public aircraft) entering or departing the U.S. to or from Cuba. On January 28, 2011, CBP published a final rule in the Federal Register (76 FR 5058) that amended the CBP regulations to establish such procedures and airport eligibility criteria.