The decline in CBP's validations of companies applying for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program is due to a change in the revalidation time period, said a CBP spokeswoman. "The number of validations is slightly lower compared to 2012 as we have adjusted the revalidation time period from 3 years to 4 years," she said. A recently released CBP document on the C-TPAT program seemed to indicate a slowdown in validations this year (see 13060511).

CBP will begin full enforcement of Importer Security Filing beginning July 9, CBP said in a CSMS message. At that time, the agency "will start issuing liquidated damages against ISF importers and carriers for ISF non-compliance," it said. The ISF program requires advance cargo information submission to CBP within 24 hour before the cargo is loaded onto an ocean vessel going to the U.S.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website June 5, 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 2013 Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of CBP Export Survey is still open. COAC has three separate surveys to collect information from brokers and freight forwarders/non-vessel operating common carriers, carriers and exporters. The survey primarily focuses on CBP and consists of about 30 minutes of multiple choice questions. Information gathered in the survey is anonymous, and results will be shared in future COAC meetings.

CBP will begin a pilot program that no longer requires foreign trade zone (FTZ) operators to submit an application for FTZ activity permit (CBP Form 216) for some activities, the agency said in a notice. Within the test, CBP Form 216 will not be required for the manipulation, manufacture, or exhibition of merchandise within an FTZ where such activity has been previously approved in that zone’s Grant of Authority by the FTZ Board. FTZ operators approved for participation will also have the option of allowing "duty-paid merchandise that has been entered for consumption to remain in an activated zone area for up to 90 calendar days after CBP releases the merchandise, so long as the merchandise remains segregated, does not undergo further manufacturing, and is accurately recorded in the Inventory Control and Recordkeeping system within five (5) business days of release," said CBP.

A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website June 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 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 posted a June 3 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP also posted a version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.

CBP issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of June 3. 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.

CBP's validations of companies applying for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program appears to be declining year to year, according to a list of C-TPAT program achievements released by the agency. While there's still time for 2013 to catch up to past years in terms of the number of validations, if validations this year continue at the current pace, they will be about half of the total validations completed in 2012. Through June 3, CBP has validated a total of 616 C-TPAT applicants, which includes 172 initial validations and 444 revalidations, said CBP. Last year, there were a total of 2,376 validations, including 640 initial validations and 1,736 revalidations, the report said. CBP didn't comment.