CBP published the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refund (overpayments) of customs duties. For the calendar year which began April 1, 2013, the interest rates for overpayments will be 2 percent for corporations and 3 percent for non-corporations, and the rate of underpayments will be 3 percent for corporations and non-corporations.
CBP plans to modify and expand its test for the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEEs) by adding six new CEEs -- the Agriculture & Prepared Products CEE; the Apparel, Footwear & Textiles CEE; the Base Metals CEE; the Consumer Products & Mass Merchandising CEE; the Industrial & Manufacturing Materials CEE; and the Machinery CEE -- will be opened and tested to determine how they will operate with broad decision- making authority, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for April 4.
Neither a System of Records Notice (SORN) nor a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on exempting certain information collected through the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) from the Privacy Act is a burden on the public, CBP said in a FAQ publication on the Act (here).
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 1, 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 master of any foreign vessel is required to deliver the vessel's documents to the CBP port on or before entry of the vessel, CBP's Houston field office said in a March 28 information notice reminding filers of regulations on foreign vessel documents. "If a vessel clearance is not presented concurrent to vessel entrance, the vessel registry will be retained by the servicing CBP office or may be delivered to the consul of the national to which the vessel belongs until CBP grants vessel clearance," it said. "in order to facilitate the clearance process, the Area Port suggests that vessel masters file their entry and clearance paperwork with the same CBP office." This will allow for original documents to be returned sooner, said CBP.
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated March 25. The corresponding downloadable rulings are now available.
CBP released its April 3 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 15). While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does include recent general notices and Court of International Trade decisions.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website March 29, 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.)
Some ocean carriers are having trouble seeing their list of approved trade partners, who may obligate their Type 2 custodial bond, in their ACE Portal account, said CBP in a CSMS message. Even though trade partners aren't currently being displayed, the In-bond Authorization functionality is still working as designed and trade partners are still associated to the carrier’s account, said CBP. CBP is working to resolve this issue and a notification will be posted to the ACE Portal News tab when the issue is resolved.
The next meeting for the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) is scheduled for May 22 in Washington, according to CBP's trade newsletter for the second quarter of FY 2013. The newsletter also provided descriptions of the most recent COAC meeting and ongoing efforts to use the Automated Commercial Environment with exports.