The Orange County District Attorney's Office in California filed felony charges against three vendors that were suspected of selling counterfeit designer goods, said ICE in a press release. The charges stem from an ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation nicknamed "Fashion Faux Pas," the agency said. The three defendants are charged with multiple counts of manufacture and sale of a counterfeit mark. Two of the defendants, Gokhan Kucuk and John Giang Ly were previously convicted of IP violations, said ICE. Investigators estimate the counterfeit goods would be worth about $100,000 if genuine, said ICE.
CBP issued its April 24 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 18), which contains notices of the following ruling actions:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 23, 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 issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of April 22. 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 posted a April 22 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 is announcing the calendar year 2013 tariff-rate quota for tuna in airtight containers. It has been determined that 16,006,350 kilograms of tuna in air-tight containers may be entered and withdrawn from warehouse for consumption during the period Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2013, at the rate of 6% ad valorem under HTS subheading 1604.14.22. Any such tuna which 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% ad valorem under HTS subheading 1604.14.30.
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated April 22. The corresponding downloadable rulings are now available.
CBP and Nigeria signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement April 23, the agency said in a press release. The agreement allows CBP, ICE and the Nigeria Customs Service to work together to prevent, repress, and, investigate customs offenses, said CBP. "CMAAs provide for mutual assistance to ensure the accurate assessment of customs duties and taxes, and in efforts to combat illicit cross-border activities to include contraband smuggling, financial crimes such as customs fraud and money laundering, and international terrorism," it said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 22, 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.)