The Wall Street Journal reports that the duties China will levy on certain categories of apparel exports (coats, skirts, knit shirts, nonknit shirts, pajamas and underwear) seem unlikely to satisfy the governments in the U.S. or Europe intent on protecting their industries from an expected flood of Chinese-made garments. The article states that almost all categories will have duties of just 20 fen per item, with several persons quoted as stating that the tax (which Chinese companies can absorb and/or pass on to customers) is just a political or token measure, and will do little to slow exports. (WJS, dated 12/28/04, www.wsj.com )
On December 16-17, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held a Cargo Security Summit at the Georgetown University Conference Center. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site CBP Commissioner Robert Bonner's remarks at the summit, highlights of which are provided below.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a press release announcing that on December 9, 2004, the World Customs Organization (WCO) endorsed a Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate global trade that is based upon principles designed and implemented by CBP.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have signed an agreement to create the world's biggest free-trade area, which aims to remove all tariffs by 2010 and is a critical step in their vision of creating an ASEAN Community trade bloc by 2020. (WSJ Pub 11/30/04, www.wsj.com)
ShippersNewsWire reports that, among other things, the second draft of revised C-TPAT security standards for importers moves away from characterizing the measures as 'minimum standards' and instead says importers should apply various prescriptions based on an 'assessment of their risk.' The articles adds that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has circulated the draft among customs compliance managers at 16 major corporations, and is asking for comments by December 3, 2004. (ShippersNewsWire@americanshipper.com, dated 11/23/04)
In an earlier edition of International Trade Today, Broker Power had substantially transcribed what is now known as the first draft version of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) New C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers.
According to Shipper's NewsWire, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is continuing to work on a regulation mandating importers use tamper-evident, mechanical seals for all incoming ocean containers. The article notes that DHS is considering quickly implementing the same requirement for shippers in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program as a temporary safeguard until a formal rulemaking is completed. The article also notes that real world testing of electronic seals and container security devices has not produced a silver bullet yet and that DHS officials state that if electronic surveillance technology is going to be relied upon, the integrity of the equipment needs to be as robust as possible before its use is required. According to the article, DHS officials also estimate that it will take another three years before it can endorse a container security device for limited deployment and five years for universal deployment on the millions of containers in the system. (See ITT's Online Archives or 11/15/04 news, 04111599 1 for previous BP summary on only the electronic seal or container security device aspect of this Shipper's NewsWire article.) (SNW dated 11/12/04, www.americanshippper.com.)
Although Broker Power had been informed that a document that was largely transcribed in ITT's November 12, 2004 issue was the 'second draft' of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's proposed new C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers, that document may actually have been the 'first draft,' as Broker Power has obtained another draft version entitled: "Draft 2 - C-TPAT Security Standards for Importers."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a press release announcing new measures that have been agreed to by the U.S. and European Union (EU) to strengthen the security of maritime container transport.
During the September 10, 2004 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) Implementation Subcommittee1 outlined its recommendations regarding the MTSA requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) establish " a program to evaluate and certify secure systems of international intermodal transportation."