On March 26, 2004, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) published two notices denying two petitions submitted by Levi Strauss and Co. which had alleged that certain fusible interlining fabrics classified under HTS 5903.90.2500 could not be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Office of Information and Technology has posted a notice to its Web site containing (a) a list, updated as of March 11, 2004, of companies/persons offering Sea Automated Manifest System (AMS) data processing services to the trade community, and (b) the Sea AMS Respondent Checklist, as follows:

The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and Panama will begin negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) during the week of April 26, 2004. According to the press release, these negotiations will be held in Panama City. (Press Release 2004-26, dated 03/26/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/03/04-26.pdf)

On March 24, 2004, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on the state of maritime security, focusing on the impact of security efforts on maritime commerce, and the additional measures that may be needed to further enhance maritime transportation security.

On March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1047, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003."

In the March 24, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBPBulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 13), CBP issued notices: (a) revoking a classification ruling on an artificial tree, (b) revoking a classification ruling regarding certain liquid rubber, and (c) revoking a classification ruling on hook and eye tape used for brassieres. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message stating that all COBRA user fees, including the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) were extended through March 1, 2005 by Public Law 108-121. (See 19 USC 58C). CBP states that this message supercedes ABI message 03-2372, dated 10/01/03. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/10/04 news, 04031005 for BP summary of this extension through March 1, 2005.)(Adm: 04-0639, dated 03/29/04)

On March 15, 2004, the U.S. concluded negotiations to integrate the Dominican Republic into the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated antidumping (AD) duty investigations of certain circular welded carbon quality line pipe from China, Mexico, and South Korea.