The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing that the U.S. and Vietnam have amended the existing U.S.-Vietnam textile and apparel visa arrangement in order to implement the Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) for textiles and apparel that are subject to quota limits, that are produced or manufactured in Vietnam and exported on or after March 22, 2004.
On December 16, 2003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting information and descriptions (i.e., white papers) on innovative concepts for smart and secure containers and related infrastructure to be used in the international trade system. CBP states that the objective is to achieve cargo container security and integrity upon arrival at U.S. ports of entry.
According to The Journal of Commerce (JoC), rules of origin under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are so complex that many companies are forgoing NAFTA benefits, as they feel that the duty savings under NAFTA are not worth all the effort of compliance, such as obtaining manufacturers' affidavits from each supplier. (JoC, dated 02/16/04-02/22/04, www.joc.com)
In the February 18, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 8), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke a ruling regarding the country of origin marking for flat flexible magnets, and (b) proposing to modify a classification ruling on a certain woven paper place mat. CBP states that it is also proposing to revoke or modify 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 two administrative messages stating that, effective February 23, 2004, the filing of U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (UCFTA) and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA) claims via the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) system is now available for the tariff preference levels (TPLs) for textiles and/or apparel and the tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for agricultural products.
The ITA states that it will treat Dofasco and Sorevco as a single entity for this review.
In the February 19, 2004 Federal Register, the International Trade Administration (ITA) issued a notice terminating the antidumping (AD) duty investigation of certain processed hazelnuts from Turkey.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its first version (dated February 12, 2004) of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S.
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 Journal of Commerce (JoC) reports that California Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal has proposed legislation to charge a premium fee for daytime use of the Los Angeles and Long Beach marine terminals, which would make shippers pay for extending the life of existing infrastructure. The article notes that the fee is also designed to push more truck traffic into off-peak hours, thereby reducing congestion on the freeway and at terminal gates. (JoC, dated 02/09/04-02/15/04, www.joc.com)