MEMO TO CLIENT ISSUE 24-002 February 07, 2024

Secretary of DHS will Increase Textile Enforcement

It has been reported that after a virtual call with the National Council of Textile Organizations,  Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas will increase enforcement on unfair trade practice on textile imports from China. The NCTO focused on forced labor, circumvention of U.S. free trade agreements, and the abuse of the de minimis provision that allowed duty free imports for shipments under $800.00. Secretary Mayorkas promised an enforcement action plan in 30 days.

A Petition has Been Filed for ADD and CVD for Paper Plates

The American Paper Plate Coalition has petitioned the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission to assess the imposition of new antidumping duties on paper plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as new countervailing duties on paper plates from China and Viet­nam. The Commerce Dept. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on paper plates including uncolored, colored, white or printed. Items expected to be excluded from the proposed scope are paper bowls, paper buckets and paper food containers with closable lids. The investigation has not started, but a Federal Register Notice will be issued to announce it and to ask for comments.

U.S. Commerce has Issued Preliminary Results on Mattresses from Thailand

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has issued the preliminary results of the of the administrative review on antidumping duty for mattresses under Case no.A-549-841. Only one company has been under review, Saffron Living Co, LTD. DOC ‘s finding is that the original is continued at 763.28%. DOC has issued a Federal Reister Notice (FRN)that will order liquidation of entries from May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023 to be liquidated at the rate required for entry. The FRN can be found at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/26/2024-01595/mattresses-from-thailand-preliminary-results-of-the-antidumping-duty-administrative-review-2022-2023

NOAA has Published Compliance Guidelines for Seafood Imports

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its U.S. Government partner agencies are engaged in numerous efforts to engage internationally, enhance enforcement, strengthen partnerships, and establish seafood traceability It established the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) in December of 2016 that requires  reporting and recordkeeping requirements for imports of certain seafood products to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and/or misrepresented seafood from entering U.S. commerce. SIMP requires additional data to be reported at the point of entry into U.S. commerce or retained by the importer of record for imported fish and fish products identified as priority species due to the risk for IUU fishing and seafood fraud activities. Importers of record are identified to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on each entry filing. .

The U.S. importer of record is required to obtain an International Fisheries Trade Permit (IFTP) from NOAA Fisheries to report certain harvest information at the time of entry filing, and to keep records regarding the chain of custody of the fish or fish product from harvest to point of entry into the United States. Regulations have regularly undergone some changes . NOAA has published a compliance guide to assist Seafood importers as to SIMP requirements such as species groups, the reporting requirements for entry, and the need for an International Trade permit (IFTP). This compliance guide can be found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2024-01/SIMP-Compliance-Guide-JAN.2024.revision-508.pdf

A memo reminder of Carmichael’s additional service offerings

In this memo, we highlight our parent (KWE) company’s Canadian Customs Brokerage Services:

  • Operation Overview
    • Control tower office in Moncton, New Brunswick
    • Operating hours 24/7/365 including statutory holidays
    • Clearance for all modes to include ocean, air, courier, truck and rail
  • Consulting Services Offered
    • B2 Amends, HS Code Rulings, and Duty Drawback
    • Compliance audits, educational webinars on request
    • CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) CARM enrollment support
  • Experienced with Non-Resident Importers (NRI)
    • Compliant account setup to import goods to CBSA
    • Guide NRI on how to obtain Single Business Number (SBN)
    • Provide reference material for NRI CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) taxation

To learn more about KWE Canada Customs Brokerage services, please contact:  moc.tenmracnull@selas