U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice announcing the immediate reopening of the FY 2006 refined sugar tariff rate quota (TRQ) for Mexico, due to an increase. The FY 2006 raw sugar TRQ for Mexico has also been increased.
Customs duty
A customs duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs duty rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight. U.S. customs duties are listed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its instructions for the opening of the tariff rate quotas (TRQs, i.e., tranches) for specialty sugar.
In Processed Plastic Company v. U.S., the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in favor of Customs' classification of two children's plastic Barbie and Winnie the Pooh backpacks and one children's Barbie beach bag as other travel, sports, and similar bags under 4202.92.45% (20%).
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a final rule, which effective October 28, 2005, expands the tariff publication exemption provided to non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) in NVOCC Service Arrangements (NSAs), by allowing NVOCCs and shippers' associations with NVOCC members to act as shippers in NSAs.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing the aggregate tariff preference level (TPL) for apparel that is eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (i.e., Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru) from fabrics, fabric components, or components knit-to-shape, etc. from ATPDEA/U.S. yarns, as specified in HTS 9821.11.25 below:
According to a September 27, 2005 statement by USTR Special Textile Negotiator David Spooner, the third round of talks with the Chinese aimed at reaching agreement on textiles continued the evening of September 27th. The Textile Negotiator stated that "we have made good progress in our discussions over the past couple of days and, although we still have differences, we feel that additional time to work on the issues would be beneficial." (USTR Statement, dated 09/27/05, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Spokesperson_Statements/Statement_of_David_Spooner_USTR_Special_Textile_Negotiator_Regarding_the_Third_Round_of_Textile_Talks_with_the_Chinese_in_Washin.html )
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing the 2005/2006 quantities of apparel made from African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) fabric and/or AGOA/U.S. yarn, or apparel made from any fabric or yarn, that are eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the AGOA pursuant to HTS 9819.11.09 and/or 9819.11.12 as amendedby the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 (AGOA III):
On August 2, 2005 President Bush signed H.R. 3045, the "Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) Implementation Act" (Act) into law (Public Law (P.L.) 109-53).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) appears to have recently posted to its Web site a memorandum which provides guidance on the classification of festive articles, in light of CBP's June 2005 proposal to limit the court decision in the case of Park B. Smith, Ltd. v. U.S (Park) to the entries litigated.
The House Ways and Means Committee has issued an advisory announcing that it will hold a hearing on September 29, 2005 on the implementation of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA).