In the Dec. 17 issue of the CBP Customs Bulletin (Vol. 48, No. 50), CBP published a notice that proposes to modify or revoke rulings and similar treatment for the tariff classification of landfill compactors (here).
The April customs broker’s license examination is scheduled for Monday, April 13, as expected (1412080025), said CBP in an official notice (here). While usually scheduled for the first Monday in April, the first Monday coincides with the observance of the religious holiday of Passover, said CBP. The exam typically consists of 80 multiple-choice questions, with a score of 75 percent required to pass.
The 2015 annual user fee of $138 for each customs broker district permit and national permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation is due by Feb. 27, said CBP in a notice (here). According to 19 CFR 111.96(c), this user fee is payable for each calendar year at the port through which the broker was issued a permit or at a port referred to in 19 CFR 111.19(c) in the case of a national permit. Note that 19 CFR 111.96(c) also states that if a broker fails to pay the annual user fee by the published due date, the appropriate port director will notify the broker in writing of the failure to pay and will revoke the permit to operate. That notice will constitute revocation of the permit. CBP anticipates "that for subsequent years, the annual user fee for customs brokers will be due on the last business day of February of each year," it said.
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 Dec. 17, 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://adcvd.cbp.dhs.gov/adcvdweb.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Dec. 17 (here) with 76 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 184,831. The most recent ruling is dated 12/10/14.
The Department of Homeland Security is pushing for global use of the World Customs Organization data model, the WCO said (here). The data model is "a set of combined data requirements that are updated on a regular basis to meet the procedural and legal needs of cross-border regulatory agencies," said the WCO. "It includes information related to the context, content, structures, and technical solutions for information exchange, providing a common goal for trading partners to converge towards." The WCO also noted DHS's work toward completing the International Trade Data System by December 2016. The agency recently started a series of posts on the ITDS efforts (here), said the WCO.
CBP is accepting applications for senior roles in the Office of International Trade, the agency said in a CSMS message (here). Specifically, the agency is looking for executive directors for the Automated Commercial Environment Business Office and Regulations and Rulings, it said. Those positions are now filled with acting officials after Brenda Smith, now assistant commissioner, Office of International Trade and Sandra Bell, now deputy assistant commissioner, were promoted (see 14100714). Debbie Augustin is the acting head of the ACE Business Office and Glen Vereb is the acting leader of Regulations and Rulings (see 14100714).
CBP has plans to start at least six more Participating Government Agency pilot programs in 2015 to test interoperability with the Automated Commercial Environment, according to an agency schedule for the pilots (here). Previously announced pilots set to begin in 2015 are an Environmental Protection Agency test for Notices of Arrival for pesticides and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declaration, it said. The other pilot programs set for 2015 are:
In the Dec. 17 issue of the CBP Customs Bulletin (Vol. 48, No. 50), CBP published notices that propose to modify or revoke rulings and similar treatment for the preferential treatment of garments under the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) and Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) (here).