CBP announced the calendar year 2023 tariff rate quota for tuna in airtight containers. It said 13,377,875 kilograms of tuna in airtight containers may be entered and withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during 2023, at the rate of 6% under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 1604.14.22. Any such tuna that is entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during the current calendar year in excess of this quota will be dutiable at the rate of 12.5% under HTS subheading 1604.14.30.
FDA and CBP are actively testing "various scenarios surrounding processing" Port of Entry changes through the Automated Commercial Environment, and a date for deployment is still to be determined, CBP said in a message July 6. Previously CBP had said the date for deployment would be no sooner than June 17 (see 2305220034). Both the FDA and CBP are encouraging the trade to continue testing in CERT, and the date for implementation is still unknown as testing continues. CBP said it will provide further updates when the planned deployment date is known.
Hapag-Lloyd violated U.S. shipping regulations by failing to establish adequate facilities to return empty containers to the Port of New York and New Jersey and unfairly charging detention and demurrage for containers caught in the "logistical paralysis" of its own making, Rahal International said in a June 30 complaint to the Federal Maritime Commission. Rahal, an Illinois-based importer and distributor of fruit and vegetable juices, said backlogs and delays created by the shipping line damaged some of its juice shipments, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP has released its July 5 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 57, No. 26). While it contains recent court decisions, no customs rulings are included.
CBP released the quarterly IRS interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. For the quarter that began July 1, the interest rate for overpayments is 6% for corporations and 7% for non-corporations. The rate for underpayments is 7% for both corporations and non-corporations. Rates are unchanged from the previous quarter (see 2304120029) but subject to change for the next quarter, CBP said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is extending its deadline for the new shipborne dunnage program to Nov. 6, Livingston International said June 30. The original directive for the program, published Jan. 6, made the deadline for compliance July 6. The extension was announced to "allow more time for the industry to address implementation issues," Livingston said. The order also includes amendments to "approved heat treatments and marking requirements made under the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15," Livingston said. CFIA did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Amid threats of a strike, UPS this week offered union workers "significant movement on wages and other economic language" as part of ongoing labor contract negotiations, the Teamsters union, which represents package delivery and warehouse workers, said June 30. The union said UPS pledged to “reach a deal no later than July 5.”
Negotiators for prospective Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity countries reaffirmed their "shared commitment to ambitious outcomes in Pillars III (Clean Economy) and IV (Fair Economy) as quickly as possible," at an IPEF virtual ministerial meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on June 29. The meeting included representatives from Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, the Commerce news release said. IPEF members also discussed "the importance of delivering concrete benefits, including technical assistance and capacity building, to support future implementation of the high standard commitments envisioned" for the clean and fair economy pillars, the news release said.