CBP posted its updated Fish and Wildlife Service ACE implementation guide to its website on Aug. 11. The updated FWS partner government agency (PGA) message set now includes only two FWS flags, with one indicating a commodity always requires clearance by FWS and the other covering commodities that are “likely to contain commodities” that require FWS declarations and may be disclaimed. The new message set also adds a new ACE input for designated port exception permits, as expected (see 1703010042).
The U.S. government filed a federal court complaint on Aug. 10 alleging a Florida importer of wooden bedroom furniture sought to evade antidumping duties and customs fees by misclassifying and undervaluing its furniture imports. Blue Furniture Solutions evaded “millions of dollars” in duties and fees by classifying its wooden bedroom furniture as metal and office furniture to avoid a 216.01% antidumping duty rate, and stating false values of its imports on entry documentation.
A surety is on the hook for $2.2 million in uncollected duties even though the underlying bonds had missing information and errors, the Court of International Trade said in a decision issued Aug. 10. Hartford Fire Insurance argued the bonds violated customs regulations and were not enforceable contracts, but the court found those errors didn’t invalidate them, especially given that Hartford accepted premiums and submitted the bonds to CBP.
Customs brokerages, law firms, and other members of the trade community are angling to secure eligibility of distilled spirits for substitution drawback under new regulations set to take effect Feb. 24, industry sources said in recent interviews. On that date, simplified substitution drawback enacted through the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act will take effect, generally enabling substitution drawback to cover imports and exports with the same eight-digit HTS or Schedule B number. But questions surround whether CBP will deem distilled spirit exports eligible for substitution, due to the agency’s historical drawback treatment regarding alcohol-related excise taxes and technical classifications of U.S. production facilities.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 24-28 in case they were missed.
CBP hopes a long-discussed update to customs broker regulations in 19 CFR Part 111 will be considered "deregulatory" under the Trump administration's executive order on reducing regulatory burdens (see 1702070048), Robert Altneu, chief of CBP's Trade and Commercial Regualtions Branch, said July 26. That executive order requires that there be two offsetting regulations for every new "significant" regulation, and CBP now believes the Part 111 update could be such an offset, he said. Altneu spoke during a webinar hosted by CBP and the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America.
A customs broker's vessel entry and clearance services do not constitute customs business, CBP said in a recent ruling. The activities performed by the broker, Schenker, are all either not covered by CBP regulations on customs business or are specifically exempt, CBP said in ruling HQ H260075. Because the activities do not have to be performed by a customs broker, Schenker may expand its vessel entry and clearance services to other ports without having to get additional broker district permits, CBP said in the ruling, issued in April.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 17-21 in case they were missed.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its updated 2017 regulatory agenda for CBP (here). The agenda doesn't include any new rulemakings involving trade. Previously listed rulemakings, including on the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (here) and Importer Security Filings (here), continue to be on the agenda.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 10-14 in case they were missed.