The Census Bureau emailed tips Jan. 24 on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System. Response code 171 is a fatal error for when the Transportation Reference Number is not allowed to be reported for the Mode of Transportation reported for a shipment. Census said a Transportation Reference Number is required for vessel shipments and allowed for air, rail or truck shipments but can’t be reported for a shipment using any other mode of transportation, such as mail, fixed or other. The filer should verify the Mode of Transportation Code and Transportation Reference Number, correct the shipment and resubmit.
FDA on Jan. 12 signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with Switzerland’s Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) that will allow the U.S. and Switzerland to rely on each other’s inspections of pharmaceutical and veterinary drug facilities, avoiding the need for duplicate inspections, FDA said in a statement that day. Prior to the MRA’s entry into force, FDA still must “determine whether Swissmedic is capable of conducting inspections that meet U.S. requirements, and Swissmedic must make a similar determination with respect to the FDA meeting Swiss requirements,” FDA said. The MRA includes privisons on when the regulators intend to accept official good manufacturing practice documents from the other; how regulators will transmit the documents; and the establishment of two committees “to facilitate the effective functioning of the MRA,” said a release from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which also signed the agreement.
CBP recently deployed a new link to the Automated Export System Direct Portal as part of its ACE Portal modernization efforts, the Census Bureau said in a Jan. 12 email to industry. The ACE “References Tab” now has a link, AES Direct UI (login required), to access the AES portal, Census said. “Users should begin navigating to the AESDirect Portal using only the ‘AES Direct UI’ link,” the agency said. “Access through the ‘Legacy ACE’ link will be discontinued in the future.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule reclassifying the Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), an insect found only in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. The rule becomes effective Feb. 13.
The Census Bureau deployed a new informational message in the Automated Export System Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) certification environment Jan. 10, which will be alerting exporters when the U.S. Principal Party in Interest address state field and state of origin field don’t match (see 2212220023). In a Jan. 9 CSMS message, CBP reminded industry that exporters and software developers submitting Electronic Export Information through the Electronic Data Interface will “need to program and test their software so that their clients receive the new response code message.” CBP also said the message will be active in the ACE production environment on Feb. 7.
The Commerce Department’s fall 2022 regulatory agenda for the Census Bureau, released this week, mentions a final rule that would add a new “country of origin” data element in the Automated Export System. Census proposed the new element last year, which could require U.S. exporters of foreign-produced goods to declare the country of origin for their item through the “conditional” data element in AES (see 2112140033). Census said it hopes to publish the new requirement, if it's finalized, in June. The final rule also “would make remedial changes to the [Foreign Trade Regulations] to improve clarity and to correct errors,” Census said.
The Census Bureau emailed tips Dec. 27 on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System. Response code 147 is a fatal error for when the routed export indicator is missing. Census said filers must report the routed export indicator as "Yes" or "No." Filers should verify whether it's a routed export transaction, correct the shipment and resubmit.
The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to temporarily adding five synthetic benzodiazepines -- etizolam, flualprazolam, clonazolam, flubromazolam and diclazepam -- to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice of intent in the Dec. 23 Federal Register. Once the temporary scheduling order is published, it will be in effect for up to three years, the DEA said.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the 2023 rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime and holiday inspection and identification, certification and laboratory services. Effective Jan. 1, the agency's base time rate will be $67.12, and its overtime rate $82.80. The 2022 holiday rate will be $98.44, and the laboratory rate will be $87.36. FSIS said the export application fee will be $4.01 per application, unchanged from last year's fee.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is removing fenfluramine from schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice of the final rule in the Dec. 23 Federal Register. The DEA said the drug has no abuse potential. The removal eliminates “the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to controlled substances, including those specific to schedule IV controlled substances, on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, dispense, engage in research, import, export, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess) or propose to handle fenfluramine,” the DEA said. The delisting is effective Dec. 23.