U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a final rule which amends the Customs Regulations effective January 5, 2004 regarding the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S. (See final rule for compliance dates for each transportation mode.)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted to its Web site a revision of its December 2003 Questions & Answers (Q&A) document regarding the registration of food facilities.
On January 9, 2004, the Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced that the national threat level has been lowered to yellow (elevated risk) from orange (high risk).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is amending its antidumping (AD) duty order, as well as its final and amended final affirmative AD duty determinations, on bulk aspirin from China as there is now a final court decision regarding this investigation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice announcing that the 2004 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for Cheddar cheese from Canada, provided for in HTS Chapter 4, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 18, that opened on January 2, 2004, oversubscribed at opening moment. According to CBP, the pro rata percentage is 74% or .7400. CBP states that entries or withdrawals for consumption of Cheddar cheese from Canada presented after opening should be returned to the broker for correction.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued two notices announcing that it has commenced two reviews to provide advice to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding two separate petitions filed under the "commercial availability" provisions of the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) on certain shirting fabrics. According to the ITC, it will submit its advice to USTR in a classified report by January 29, 2004, and issue a public version soon thereafter. Written comments due to the ITC by January 14, 2003. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/30/03 news, 03123025, for BP summary of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreement's (CITA's) related notice.) (ITC notices, dated 01/05/04, available at http://www.usitc.gov/332s/shortsup/332_450_010nl.pdf and http://www.usitc.gov/332s/shortsup/332_450_011nl.pdf)
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has announced that it will be providing live Web seminars and on-line training tutorials in order to familiarize registered industry users on the licensing process to be introduced with the advent of the D-TRADE licensing system in January 2004.
The Journal of Commerce Online (JoC Online) has reported that the Indian government has issued new rules requiring ocean carriers and airlines to file import cargo manifests in advance. According to JoC Online, these rules, effective February 18, 2004, are similar to the 24-hour anti-terror rule created by the U.S. (JoC Online, 01/06/04, www.joc.com)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that the affirmation of compliance for air waybill (AWB) will now be edited for format: NNN-NNNNNNNN. CBP notes that this is also a change to the BN01 and BN02 records in the 'BN' application from what was originally provided.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated an antidumping (AD) duty changed circumstances review of structural steel beams from Japan to determine whether Yamato Steel Co., Ltd. (Yamato Steel) is the successor-in-interest to Yamato Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Yamato Kogyo).