CBP is extending the comment period to Jan. 7 for an existing information collection on foreign assembler declarations with endorsement by the importer. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with a change to the burden hours but not the information collected, it said in a notice scheduled for the Federal Register Dec. 7.

CBP Houston is having problems with the phone and fax lines in the seaport main office, it said in an email. Paperwork can be emailed to HoustonSeaportFusion@DHS.GOV. An emergency contact number was also provided: (281) 330-4939.

CBP is requesting comments by Feb. 5 for an existing information collection on applications for allowance in duties. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection without a change to the burden hours or to the information collected. The notice is scheduled to run in the Federal Register Dec. 7.

A CBP advisory ruling regarding the country of origin of imported software products and their acquisition by the government marks a new understanding for software developed outside the U.S., said Talend, an open source software company. The company said in a press release the CBP ruling will benefit software vendors of all types.

CBP issued a final determination concerning the country of origin of Vantage Vehicle electric trucks and vans. CBP has determined that the U.S. is the country of origin of the low speed electric trucks (models EVX1000 and EVR1000) and electric vans (models EVC1000 and EVP1000) for purposes of U.S. government procurement.

CBP released its Dec. 5 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 50). While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does include recent Court of International Trade decisions.

CBP Los Angeles/Long Beach is working to ease compliance with the entry/clearance requirements so these vessels can dock at Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals as they reopen after the strike there, it said. It said CBP Los Angeles is maintaining close communications with terminal operators, shipping lines, brokers/freight forwarders, and Centralized Examination Stations (CES) to assess the status of recovery operations and adjust as necessary. Among other things, CBP L.A. is:

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website Dec. 4, 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 http://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 instructions for duty drawback claims for merchandise destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, in a CSMS message. If duties and taxes were paid and the goods are either exported or destroyed, the goods may qualify for a duty drawback refund under 19 U.S.C § 1313(c), it said. The importer will be required to provide documentation to CBP with details about the condition of the merchandise, as well as any insurance claims filed. If the importer has been reimbursed for duties and taxes via an insurance claim, the merchandise is not eligible for drawback, CBP said.

Illegalities and violations involving transborder shipment of hazardous and electronic wastes were reported in 11% of containers, according to a Dec. 5 report on the Second International Hazardous Waste Inspection Project. More than 1,000 containers were inspected during the project, the report said. Countries reported using national level (interagency) cooperation in 95% of inspections that took place during the Project and intelligence-led enforcement and/or risk-based profiling was commonly utilized.