CBP ruled on Dec. 4 that the U.S. is the country of origin of AvePoint’s DocAve Software for government procurement “buy American” purposes. The software, which is a suite of applications for Microsoft Sharepoint, is developed in the U.S. and China. Programming is broken up into modules that are mostly created in China. But the majority of development work and the “software build” (the combination of the modules into a finished, usable product) occurs in the United States. CBP said that software build is a substantial transformation because the previously unusable modules become an executable, installable program. Furthermore, 68% of the total hours of work spent creating the software were performed in the U.S., and only 32% in China.
CBP issued a Dec. 3 final determination that Malaysia is the country of origin for Arista Networks 7 series local area network Ethernet switches. The switches are designed to interconnect servers and storage appliances in data centers. They consist of one or more printed circuit board assembly, a chassis, top cover, power supply, and fans. The chassis and top cover are manufactured in China, and the circuit board is made in Malaysia.
CBP's New York Field Office will be among a number of federal agencies to take space in One World Trade Center in New York City, the General Services Administration (GSA) said in a press release. CBP will leave space it leased in Midtown Manhattan to join the GSA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on six floors in the building, said the GSA. The agencies are planning to move in late 2015 to floors 50 through 55, said GSA.
All new bonded facility applications submitted to the Port of Seattle must include CBP Form 3078 (Application for Identification Card) to "allow for the gathering of the most up-to-date information," said CBP's Seattle Field Office in a trade information notice. Effective Dec. 2, each new application must include a Form 3078 for all facility officers, principals and individuals with access to facility recordkeeping, it said. CBP said in March it would begin to handle the background checks of bonded facility employees, using the Trusted Worker Module and Global Enrollment System for the vetting (see 13030411).
CBP released two reports related to the "Beyond the Border" initiative, a long-term plan meant to improve processing of trade and travel between Canada and the U.S. Both documents review and compare CBP's Importer Self-Assessment and Canada's Customs Self-Assessment programs.
CBP released its Dec. 11 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 49). While the Bulletin does not contain any ruling articles, it does include recent Court of International Trade decisions and general notices.
CBP posted its fiscal year 2013 Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (also known as the "Byrd Amendment") annual report (here). Among other things, CBP lists $45.6 million in antidumping duties that are awaiting collection and then disbursement, which will occur in the year in which the monies are received.
CBP posted the Oct. 7, 2013, customs broker exam (here) and answer key (here).
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Dec. 6, 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 Dec. 2. 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.