All 2022 Harmonized System updates to the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) (see 2111300033) are available for use in the Automated Export System effective Feb. 10, Census said in an email to industry this week. AES will accept shipments with outdated codes during a 30-day grace period beyond Feb. 10, Census said, but outdated codes will result in a fatal error after the 30-day period.

The Census Bureau Jan. 19 emailed tips on how to address the most frequent messages generated this month in the Automated Export System. Response code 136 is a fatal error for when a shipment from Puerto Rico to the U.S. doesn’t list a Puerto Rican port under the Port of Export Code. Census said the filer should verify the country of ultimate destination and port of export code, correct the shipment and resubmit.

The Census Bureau will make several changes to the Automated Export System to accommodate the Commerce Department’s new Authorized Cybersecurity Exports (ACE) license exception, Census said in a Jan. 7 email. Among the changes, the agency will add new Export Control Classification Numbers 4A005 and 4D004 and will create new License Code C64 for the ACE exception.

The Census Bureau updated the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule tables in the Automated Export System to accept changes to the new Jan. 1 codes, the agency said in a Jan. 4 email. Census said AES will accept shipments with “outdated codes” for 30 days beyond their Dec. 31 expiration date, but reporting an outdated code after the grace period will result in a “fatal error.” Census also said it updated the Automated Commercial Environment AESDirect program with the codes, and the program will also accept outdated codes during the grace period. The agency will release a second AES update later this month to add new Schedule B and HTS codes “resulting from international changes” to the 2022 Harmonized System.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the Panama City crayfish (Procambarus econfinae), a terrestrial crayfish species native to Bay County, Florida, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Feb. 4.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the 2022 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. 2, the agency's basetime rate will be $67, and its overtime rate $82.60. The 2022 holiday rate will be $98.20, and the laboratory rate will be $85.72. FSIS said the export application fee will be $4.01 per application, unchanged from last year's fee.

CBP will continue to test predeparture manifest filing for exports within ACE for air cargo, it said in a notice Dec. 22. The test will continue for another two years, CBP said. The agency previously expanded the test to more participants and made some data elements optional in 2017.

FDA has provided China’s General Administration of Customs of China with a list of U.S. food exporter establishments that sought to be recommended for registration in China under upcoming requirements that take effect Jan. 1, it said. The agency had been collecting facility information to avoid a disruption in trade when China’s Decree 248 takes effect (See 2112060045). The decree requires that exporting countries recommend registration of establishments involved in export to China of foods in 18 categories.

The White House is reviewing a draft proclamation about the five-year Harmonized Tariff Schedule update to implement changes to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in a Dec. 20 email to members. "For the WCO HS2022 to be effective, a proclamation from the White House must be published in the Federal Register," the trade group said. "These new tariff changes will then go into effect 30 days following publication. We have learned that a draft proclamation has been provided to the White House for review." CBP recently said the changes wouldn't take effect Jan. 1 and that it planned to continue to use the current HTS until more guidance is given (see 2112170068).

CBP “understands” that the five-year Harmonized Tariff Schedule update to implement changes to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System will not take effect Jan. 1, 2022, it said in a CSMS message. “CBP is awaiting formal direction for this update, which will be implemented by Presidential Proclamation and published in the Federal Register. In the interim, CBP will continue to use the current harmonized tariff schedule and encourages the trade community to do the same until further guidance is provided.”