CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that it fixed a problem, at approximately 11:13 a.m. EDT on January 17, 2009, with ACE regarding difficulty submitting e-Manifests via the portal. (CBP previously issued a CSMS message stating ACE was experiencing a nationwide problem impacting the trade. CBP then issued a CSMS message stating that it expected to fix the problem by 11:00 a.m. EDT on January 17th. (CSMS 09-000047 issued 01/17/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17433&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby=)

CBP has posted a memorandum announcing a special import quota of 17,335,657 kg for upland cotton that is provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter III, U.S. Note 6 and is entered under HTS 9903.52.42. (CBP notes that this quantity is not subject to the tariff-rate quotas in Chapter 52 Additional U.S. Notes 5 through 10.)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing a new deployment date for ABI air in-bond deployment. According to CBP, the deployment is now scheduled for March 7, 2009.

CBP has posted its report to Congress on the Automated Commercial Environment for the third quarter of fiscal year 2008 (April 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008). The report provides an update on ACE accomplishments, challenges, fiscal status, and upcoming program milestones. Appendix G of the report was posted separately. (See future issues of ITT for details.)(Report, Appendix G, posted 01/13/08, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace/quarterly_reports/ace_status_report_to_congress_june_2008/fy08_3rd_quarter.ctt/fy08_3rd_quarter.pdf and http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace/quarterly_reports/ace_status_report_to_congress_june_2008/app_integration.ctt/app_integration.pdf)

CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report as of January 12, 2009. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, tobacco, certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, 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, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (Note that CBP also recently posted a January 8, 2009 version of this report.) (Weekly commodity report available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS announcing that has scheduled the deployment of enhanced ACE capabilities within the ESAR A2.1 (M1 Reference Data) release, for January 24, 2009.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a memorandum on the 2009 duty-free U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) tariff preference level for certain non-originating Nicaragua apparel of cotton or man-made fiber (MMF), or subject to cotton or MMF restraints, as provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter XV, U.S. Note 15. The 2009 Nicaragua TPL was scheduled to open on Friday, January 2, 2009, with a TPL limit of 100,000,000 square meter equivalents (SME).

The following are documents which CBP updates frequently (weekly, monthly, etc.):

CBP has issued its 2008 "year end" tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report (as of December 31, 2008). This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, tobacco, certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, 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, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (2008 commodity report, posted 01/05/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/yr_end_archived_com_status/cr081231.ctt/cr081231.pdf)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an updated version of its Softwood Lumber Act of 2008 (SLA 2008) frequently asked questions document. The updated version removes three questions and answers; the removed questions are as follows: