The CBP annual carriers meeting is scheduled for May 8 in Blaine, Wash., the agency said in a CSMS message. CBP will give an overview of policy changes and an upcoming Pre-Inspection Pilot, said CBP.
The forced budget cuts of sequestration won't directly affect CBP's numerous pilot programs that are part of its "Trade Transformation" initiative, said Maria Luisa O’Connell, CBP's Senior Advisor for Trade, while speaking on a panel at an American Bar Association conference April 25. Many of the effects of sequestration, including the need for furloughs, remain unclear and the agency is waiting to hear from the White House for further guidance, she said. CBP expects to know more within the month, she said. Agency trade transformation pilots include its Document Image System, the Centers for Excellence and Expertise (CEEs), and Simplified Entry.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 24, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
The Food and Drug Administration's OASIS/MARCS import systems will be down for maintenance on April 27, from 3-9:30 a.m., said CBP in a CSMS message. The downtime will prevent submitters who filed FDA transactions via ABI from receiving prior notice confirmation and entry messaging, and will prevent CBP from being able to auto-check the prior notice confirmation for ABI filers, the notice said.
Two men from China pleaded guilty to making counterfeit goods after they were found with over 14,000 fake luxury items, said ICE in a press release. They admitted in District Court in Texas "they knowingly used counterfeit marks on and in connection with such goods, identical to and substantially indistinguishable from genuine marks, the use of which was likely to cause confusion, mistake and to deceive," said the agency. Both men face up to 10 years in federal prison, as well as a $2 million fine, according to ICE.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office in California filed felony charges against three vendors that were suspected of selling counterfeit designer goods, said ICE in a press release. The charges stem from an ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation nicknamed "Fashion Faux Pas," the agency said. The three defendants are charged with multiple counts of manufacture and sale of a counterfeit mark. Two of the defendants, Gokhan Kucuk and John Giang Ly were previously convicted of IP violations, said ICE. Investigators estimate the counterfeit goods would be worth about $100,000 if genuine, said ICE.
CBP issued its April 24 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 18), which contains notices of the following ruling actions:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 23, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of April 22. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, and tobacco; and certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, OFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, OFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying textile articles and/or other articles; the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc.