U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing that, effective April 1, 2005, an electronic certification (eCERT) transmission issued by the Government of Singapore will be required for tariff preference level (TPL) claims under HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter X, U.S. Note 13, pursuant to the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA).
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.
The U.S. Census Bureau (Census) has issued a proposed rule to amend the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations (FTSR, 15 CFR Part 30)1 in order to require mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or AESDirect for all shipments where a Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) is currently required, etc.
In the March 23, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 13), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke treatment accorded to flame cut nonalloy steel circles, and (b) revoking or modifying eight classification rulings as well as modifying the analysis in seven classification rulings regarding pumpkin carving sets. CBP states that it is also revoking, or proposing to revoke, 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 posted to its Web site a notice announcing the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for peanuts that are provided for in HTS Chapter 12, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 2 and entered under HTS 1202.10.4020, 1202.10.4040, 1202.20.4020, 1202.20.4040, 2008.11.2500, and 2008.11.4500 during the April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006 period.
The European Commission (EC) has issued a press release announcing that it has proposed to accelerate the entry into force of the new European Union (EU) Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in response to the tsunami disaster. Under this proposal, the new EU GSP would come into effect on April 1, 2005 (from the currently proposed date of July 1, 2005).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a reminder on the March 22, 2005 opening of the third global specialty sugar tariff rate quota (TRQ) for the October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005 period.
The House Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee has issued an advisory requesting that all Members that plan to introduce tariff legislation or miscellaneous corrections to the trade laws do so by Thursday, April 28, 2005, in order that they be included in the forthcoming opportunity for public comment on these bills.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an interim rule, effective March 7, 2005, which amends 19 CFR Parts 10, 24, 162, 163, 178, and 191 for the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (US-CFTA).
According to a Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) notice, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that on January 1, 2005, China would impose an export tax (also referred to as an export duty or tariff) on 148 clothing items. The HKTDC states that the 148 clothing items subject to the tax fall into six broad categories: outerwear, dresses, trousers, blouses, pajamas, and underwear and that the tax ranges from 20 fen to 50 fen (RMB) per item/kg. HKTDC notes that export of items covered by the new tax account for 75% of China's clothing exports.