New activity is described in three areas of ACE development (reports, exports, and liquidation) in the Trade Support Network's Monthly Committee Report for April 2012. Members of the Account Management Committee and the Broker Account Subcommittee provided 15 recommendations for ACE reports, including making user fee breakouts available. The Automated Export (AE) Task Group and the MMM, Export, and ITDS Committees worked on ACE automated export user requirements. The Liquidation Committee reported that web-based bulletin notice of liquidation remains under review in the Office of Regulations and Rulings.
The list of tariff numbers for the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement's sugar tariff rate quota were posted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The notice lists 48 HTS Chapter 17 - 21 tariff numbers under HTS 9822.08.01 for sugar that is within the TRQ restraint level, adding that above the TRQ level, the normal "column 1" rates apply.
The Department of Homeland Security updated its Private Sector Resources Catalog, originally created two years ago, which centralizes resources from the 23 different DHS Components into one location and categorizes them for easy access. DHS said the Catalog has information on the training, publications, guidance, alerts, newsletters, programs, and services available to the private sector from across the department.
This summary report highlights the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s April 30, 2012, “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” It also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly May 21, 2012 “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”1
In the May 16, 2012 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 46, No.21), CBP published two notices of its revocation of its rulings and treatment regarding the tariff classification of jingle bell wreaths and hanging decorations and trunk/cab organizers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a table and memorandum providing information on whether the Merchandise Processing Fee is paid, or exempt from payment, for goods entered under free trade agreements or trade preference programs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its May 23 Customs Bulletin. While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does list recent information collection notices and recent Court of International Trade decisions.
The World Customs Organization has set a June 13 deadline for responses to its tender for a new Cargo Tracking System (CTS). It said WCO members have requested a software application that can increase members' ability to do pre-arrival targeting of cross-border movements of high-risk cargo. But it said CTS also will give members a tool to increase the capacity of Customs to collect information, assess risks and target high-risk consignments moving through the supply chain.