U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted new and updated ACE "Topic" documents (also referred to as ACE User Guides) and updated ACE overview fact sheets for customs brokers and importers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Port of Miami has issued an Information Bulletin containing guidance on uniform national procedures for imports and exports of commodities controlled under International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) licenses and license exemptions.
Broker Power is now issuing weekly summary reports highlighting the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels1 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's "Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report." BP's weekly report also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP's weekly "TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List."
CBP has posted updated versions of the following ISF transaction sets:
On February 18, 2010, the Federal Maritime Commission voted to initiate a rulemaking that would relieve non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from the costs and burdens of publishing in tariffs the rates they charge for cargo shipments.
On February 17, 2010, Transportation Secretary LaHood announced Recovery Act awards to fund innovative transportation projects. The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits, including improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities. (White House, dated 02/17/10, available for http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/secretary-lahood-announces-funding-over-50-innovative-strategic-transportation-proj.)
The Federal Maritime Commission is rescheduling its open meeting previously scheduled for February 10, 2010 to February 18, 2010 in Washington, DC, and is removing one agenda item for this meeting.
The Center for Environmental Health has notified four retailers, Saks Fifth Avenue, Justice, Catherines, and Aeropostale that independent lab testing has found significant levels of cadmium in jewelry purchased from their stores in December and January. Similar recent reports suggest that, in response to the new federal law limiting lead in children's products, jewelry makers may be using cadmium instead of lead. (Press release, dated 02/02/10, available at http://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=428&Itemid=166)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing that it posted the Automated Commercial Environment Implementation Guidelines for the future M1 release (e-Manifest: Ocean and Rail).
At the December 2009 Trade Symposium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and members of the trade discussed how CBP's intellectual property rights enforcement could become more effective, and the challenges CBP is facing.