| Eff 09/07/04 | FR Pub 08/27/04 |
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued final and temporary regulations, effective September 28, 2004, relating to the entry of taxable fuel (gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene) into the U.S. The IRS states that these final and temporary regulations affect enterers of taxable fuel, other importers of record, and certain sureties.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message reminding remote location filers of certain remote location filing (RLF) entry and statement procedures.
According to The Journal of Commerce, the Director for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) states that the biggest problem with prior notice of imported food is importers' accurate reporting of the manufacturers' registration, adding that importers are doing it correctly only 16% of the time. The article states this is why the FDA is giving an additional 10 weeks of grace. (JOC, August 23, 2004)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message regarding the following QP/WP in-bond processing changes:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has scheduled the next Customs Broker License Examination for Monday, October 4, 2004.
Md. CLEC Global Telecom Brokers (GTB) asked the Md. PSC to prohibit any unilateral changes by Verizon to rates and terms for unbundled network elements (UNE) until the FCC has imposed its interim national rules for UNEs and UNE platforms. GTB said it was advised by Verizon that rates on UNE-P service to customers with more than 4 lines would be set to market levels effective Aug. 22. GTB said it has about 15,000 UNE-P lines in Md. and Verizon’s move would hurt it financially. GTB said Verizon’s price move might be preempted by the FCC’s anticipated interim UNE rules, which would add market confusion. GTB urged the PSC to preserve the status quo until new FCC UNE rules take effect; then there need be only one price change, if necessary to conform to the new FCC rules.
American Shipper reports that to cover the extra risk associated with the deferred payment of customs duties under the new periodic payment system, surety companies are raising the premiums on performance bonds used by importers and their brokers to guarantee duties will be paid to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The article notes one surety's view that for a typical importer that imports on a fairly regular schedule, they are looking at five times the credit risk for the same series of transactions. (American Shipper, August 2004)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice announcing that the third 2003/2004 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) provided for in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 5, which opened on August 10, 2004, oversubscribed at opening moment. According to CBP, the pro rata percentage is 38.58% (.3858).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice informing truck carriers of the compliance dates for transmitting advance electronic information to CBP for cargo they are bringing into the U.S., as mandated by the Trade Act of 2002 and a December 5, 2003 final rule.