CBP has posted a presentation that provides information on the Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS), a feature of its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). According to CBP, this presentation was developed for members of the trade community to utilize in their presentations to other members of the trade community as part of the ACE and PMS outreach effort. The presentation discusses the benefits of PMS, which include: (1) providing additional flexibility and potentially significant cash flow advantages, (2) allowing the broker to select either a national or a port statement, (3) allowing the broker to pay on behalf of the importer on either an importer or broker statement from the importer or broker Automated Clearing House (ACH) account, etc. (CBP's ACE Periodic Monthly Statement overview, dated March 2006, available at http://www.customs.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/about/modernization/briefings_info/trade_pms_presentation.ctt/trade_pms_presentation.pdf.)
CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) commodity report as of February 27, 2006. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, tuna, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa powder, tobacco, certain JFTA, MFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, UAFTA and UCFTA TRQs, etc. This report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, CBTPA, MFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA (CFTA) tariff preference levels (TPLs) for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (CBP's weekly quota commodity report, dated 02/27/06, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has scheduled the next Customs Broker License Examination for Monday, April 3, 2006.
The Wall Street Journal reports that as China's trade clout grows, its manufacturers are increasingly running afoul of Western anti-trust law in products from Vitamin C (where half a dozen civil antitrust suits have been filed against Chinese manufacturers) to magnesite - a mineral used in steel production. According to the article, these anti-trust accusations are the result of Chinese companies forming alliances to raise prices - a effort to stave off dumping accusations. (WSJ, dated 02/10/06, www.wsj.com )
In 2005, the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in U.S. v. Pan Pacific Textile Group et al. (Pan Pacific), that the principal is responsible for unpaid duties under 19 CFR 1592(d) stemming from fraudulent customs violations by his agent, who was the "importer of record" for certain tracksuits imported from China.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that its Office of Field Operations in Los Angeles will be sponsoring a seminar on steel identification, classification and trade law in Long Beach, California on March 29 - 30, 2006.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently posted to the Pilot Bond Centralization Program section of its Web site a February 13, 2006 version of its guidance document entitled "Latest News and Developments." According to CBP, this document provides information on the Pilot Bond Centralization Program and current issues, policies, and procedures for processing bond applications. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/08/05 news, 05120805, for BP's summary of CBP's November 29, 2005 version of its "Latest News and Developments" guidance document.)
Carriers must remain on guard against “pretexters” selling cellphone records and other customer proprietary network information (CPNI) even if most data brokers are forced to shut down online sales, 2 top information security experts told us. The gray market, with companies quietly selling information to private investigators and other favored customers, may be harder to shut down. The FCC and FTC are investigating companies that sell data obtained from carriers (CD Feb 12 p1) through pretexting. Legislation is expected in Congress.
Carriers must remain on guard against “pretexters” selling cellophane records and other customer proprietary network information (CPNI) even if most data brokers are forced to shut down online sales, 2 top information security experts told us. The gray market, with companies quietly selling information to private investigators and other favored customers, may be harder to shut down. The FCC and FTC are investigating companies that sell data obtained from carriers through pretexting. Legislation is expected in Congress.
In November 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a general notice advising Customs brokers that the Triennial Status Report Fee of $100 that is assessed for each license held by a broker whether it may be an individual, partnership, association, or corporation, is due during the month of February 2006 (i.e. by February 28, 2006) along with the corresponding status report.