U.S. exporters that do not submit to CBP a valid beef certificate number for exports to Uruguay will receive a warning message beginning Aug. 3, according to a July 31 CBP notice. The warning message “is provided to ensure the certificate number submitted with the line information is indeed a valid certificate number,” CBP said. The agency plans to transition from a warning message to a rejection message by November 2019, and will give notice in advance of the change.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for 31 chemicals under significant new use rules. The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Importers of chemicals subject to these proposed SNURs would need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements should these proposed rules be finalized, EPA said. Exporters of these chemicals would become subject to export notification requirements. Comments on the proposed SNURs are due Aug. 30.

CBP is requesting comments by Aug. 22 on an existing information collection for certificates of registration. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection without a change to the burden hours or information collected.

The Census Bureau emailed a tip on how to address “the most frequent messages that were generated in [the Automated Export System] for this month." Response code 835 is a verify message for value of goods that are “too high for commodity reported,” Census said. This occurs when the value of the goods is higher than expected “based on historical statistical values for the particular goods,” Census said. This might indicate a “keying error or misclassification of the product.” Census advises filers to “[v]erify the Value of Goods and Schedule B/HTS Number, correct the shipment and resubmit (if necessary). If the line item is verified correct as reported, no action is necessary.” For a complete list of commodity filing fatal error response codes for June 2019, check this CBP document.

The Bureau of industry and Security posted the presentations from its annual conference held July 9-11 in Washington.

The Census Bureau posted the July issue of TradeSource, the agency's trade-focused newsletter. Among topics in this issue is a comparison of AESDirect Shipment Manager and ACE Export Reports. "Both tools were designed to assist exporters and agents in managing their export transactions, but each has its own purpose," said Maritza Torres and Mayumi Brewster of the Governments and Trade Management Division. ACE Export Reports "includes all shipment data that is found in the Automated Export System (AES)," while the Shipment Manger "is limited to shipments filed only in AESDirect." Another item in this issue examines the benefits of foreign-trade zones.

CBP will require ACE for reporting all in-bond exports, arrivals and diversions starting July 29, the agency said in a CSMS message. "CBP will no longer accept paper copies of the CBPF 7512 to perform arrival and export functionality," though air shipments will still be exempt from the requirements, it said. "An ACE edit will issue a rejection if these actions are not performed," CBP said. "At this time, no date is set for implementation of the provision requiring the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule number requirement for Immediate Transportation movements." The Automated In-Bond Processing Business Process document is the "official publication which provides both CBP and the trade community with guidance, requirements and responsibilities when processing in-bond cargo," the agency said.

The Agriculture Department is asking for comments on the sanitary and phytosanitary standard (SPS) setting activities at the Codex Alimentarius Commission from July 20, 2018, to June 21, 2019, and June 21, 2019, to May 31, 2020. The notice provides a list of the standard-setting activities, as well as other types of Codex standards like commodity standards, guidelines, codes of practice and revised texts. Attachment 1 to the notice sets forth the SPS standards under consideration or planned for consideration, as well as, for each SPS standard specified: (1) a description of the consideration or planned consideration of the standard; (2) whether the U.S. is participating or plans to participate in the consideration of the standard; (3) the agenda for U.S. participation, if any; and (4) the agency responsible for representing the U.S. with respect to the standard.

Goods illegally exported through e-commerce is a subject of concern within CBP as there can be even less visibility with them than on the import side, said Daniel Randall, acting director within the Office of Field Operations at CBP, speaking June 27 at the American Association of Exporters and Importers Annual Conference in Washington. "CBP currently doesn't have the authority to collect export data," he said. "We collect export data under the [Commerce Department] authority" and the "requirements on the people who provide data are pretty loose," he said. The value of the goods has to be over $2,500 and "it's pretty much a self-declaration," he said. The main threat is with guns or gun parts, which can typically be detected through X-ray scanning, he said. Still, there's been an increase in sophistication in hiding such items for export in recent years, such as within auto parts shipments, he said. A combination of disguised goods and the self-declarations "makes things very difficult," he said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is creating a new exemption for green sea urchins of the species Strongylocentrotus droebachiensi from export licensing requirements, it said in a final rule. The new exemption applies to green sea urchins harvested in U.S. waters or imported for processing under a valid import license, FWS said. It is not available to violators of federal wildlife laws within the last five years, nor will it apply in states that have not submitted information related to conservation and management or that fail to prove they’re engaged in conservation and management, FWS said. The final rule takes effect June 25.