U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a final rule which amends 19 CFR Parts 111, 113, 141, 142, and 143, effective January 29, 2010, in order to make Remote Location Filing (RLF) permanent, instead of a prototype test1 as it is currently.
Wireless Spectrum Auctions
The FCC manages and licenses the electromagnetic spectrum used by wireless, broadcast, satellite and other telecommunications services for government and commercial users. This activity includes organizing specific telecommunications modes to only use specific frequencies and maintaining the licensing systems for each frequency such that communications services and devices using different bands receive as little interference as possible.
What are spectrum auctions?
The FCC will periodically hold auctions of unused or newly available spectrum frequencies, in which potential licensees can bid to acquire the rights to use a specific frequency for a specific purpose. As an example, over the last few years the U.S. government has conducted periodic auctions of different GHz bands to support the growth of 5G services.
Latest spectrum auction news
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a new informed compliance publication entitled What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: U.S. Customs & Border Protection Rulings Program.
At a November 4, 2009 trade association meeting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials discussed a variety of issues related to the importation of textiles and apparel, highlights of which include the following:
At the November 5, 2009 Trade Support Network meeting, the TSN presented multiple documents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the Automated Commercial Environment.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reminds the public that Japan will act as the chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2010 Symposium to be held December 9-10, 2009 in Tokyo. Participants will conduct discussions on APEC free trade goals, regional economic integration, the concept of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), and strategies for prosperity in Asia-Pacific. (Press release, dated 11/27/09, available at http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/data/20091127_01.html)
The ITDS Board has submitted its annual report on the International Trade Data System to Congress, as required by the 2006 SAFE Port Act.1 The report includes updates on the status of ITDS implementation and the status of the Automated Commercial Environment within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, among other issues.
The following were among determinations of the Court of International Trade in cases involving antidumping or countervailing duty law in October 2009.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently posted the October 2009 customs broker license exam and answer key. According to CBP sources, the pass rate for the October exam was 6.9%.
At the November 4, 2009 COAC meeting, a Treasury official announced that the International Trade Data System annual report to Congress has been issued. According to Treasury, the report contains recommendations that could help mitigate the effect of ACE delays on ITDS program. For example, the report recommends that CBP could begin to collect ITDS information for other agencies through the Automated Broker Interface, and then make the data available through the ACE data warehouse. See future issues of ITT for additional details of COAC meeting and ITDS report. (Report, dated September 2009, available at http://www.itds.gov/xp/itds/whats_new/)