Details of the U.S.- Japan Trade Agreement Available A Presidential Proclamation on several trade agreement issues was posted in a Federal Register Notice (FRN) on December 30th. This includes changes to the Israel Free Trade Area Agreement (ILFTA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). It also includes the announcement of the U.S. Japan Trade Agreement which includes the …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 20-005 – June 4, 2020
USTR Issues Regulations on USMCA Rules of Origin The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued regulations on the Rules of Origin for the United States, Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). It includes several definitions and explanations on things such as transaction value when determining value content. The notice can be found on the USTR’s website. USTR Requests …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 20-002 – March 19, 2020
CBP has All Ports of Entry Operational We are receiving several inquiries about the status of services by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the processing of entries and the release of cargo in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, there are no ports closed and CBP is working all cargo, including exams. At the ocean terminals …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 24-010 – JUNE 27, 2024
CPSC has Started Accepting Requests for the eFiling of CPSC Certificates The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is now accepting registration requests for importers interested in testing in the CPSC eFiling systems. There will be access to up to 2,000 importers to test the systems. The eFiling will have a voluntary start up this summer after the Beta test of …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 21-001 – February 17, 2021
USDA has Added New Data Sets for Filing of Certain Types of Entries Effective Jan 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented new data set requirements in ACE filing entries for certain imports. This is part of the ACE project of connecting “other government agency” requirements with the customs entry. The changes include: APHIS CORES = Animal Plant …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 24-006-MAY 17, 2024
USTR Has Proposed Changes in China 301 Duties The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has finished its 4-year review of the Lists 3 and 4a. They will continue the imposition of the existing 301 duties and will add new items or increase 301 duties on certain products on the list. The proposed new duties will not be added …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 24-003-MARCH 28, 2024
Port of Baltimore is Closed Due to Bridge Collapse Due to the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Ke Bridge, the Port of Baltimore is indefinitely closed to all vessel traffic. Import vessels will be diverted to other ports. Export traffic can be moved by truck or rail and go to other smaller local ports. The terminals at the Port …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 23-021 – November 6, 2023
FDA Proposes to Amend Prior Notice for Foods Sent by Mail to the United States The Food and Drug Administration has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM ) to amend the requirements of prior notice for articles of food arriving by international mail. add a requirement that prior notice and food facility registration information be submitted within a …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 21-002 – March 12, 2021
U.S. and E.U. Agree to Suspend Additional Tariffs for Large Aircraft Disputes On March 4, 2021, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued an announcement of a joint statement by the United States and the European Community to suspend the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization aircraft disputes. This temporary suspension of four months covers all the …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 19-013 – October 23, 2019
USTR to Accept Exclusion Requests for China 301 Tranche 4 Late last Friday, The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that they will open requests for exclusions to Tranche 4 (lists 4A and 4B) of the Section 301 tariffs beginning October 31. The process will be handled through USTR’s online portal, similar to the exclusion request process used …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 19-008 – April 22, 2019
USTR Releases New List of China 301 Exclusions The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released a new list of additional classifications and descriptions for exclusion pertaining to the first list of HTS numbers subject to the China 301 duties at 25%. This new list has 14 HTS numbers with 21 exclusion descriptions. Each exclusion is tied to …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 23-014 – August 04, 2023
CBP Issues New Instructions on Moving Cargo Held for Forced Labor U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) with two new instructions for Cargo that has been put on hold for suspicion of being made by forced labor. Importers can make a request to the Port Director that their detained cargo be moved to …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 22-007 – June 16, 2022
Operational Guidelines on UFPLA are not the Final Word Last Friday we sent out a memo touting U.S Customs and Border Protections Guidelines for the Uyghur Forced Labor Act (UFPLA). These are not the instructions that we have all been waiting for. These are actually operational guidelines that summarize much of what CBP has been presenting on their many webinars. …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 22-006 – May 27, 2022
CBP Announces Trade Symposium Registration U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that registration for this year’s Trade Symposium will open on June 1, at 12:00 PM EST. They will send out details on how to register that morning. We will send out a message to everyone who receives our memo as soon as we get more details. The …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 22-001 – January 20, 2022
Bill Introduced to Tighten the Sec. 321 Process Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the Chairman of the House ways and Means Committee, has announced new legislation to toughen requirements for release of de minimis shipments (Section 321) with value under $800.00. Representative Blumenauer wants to eliminate loophole that will make it easier for people to allow better oversight on the goods …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 21-009 – September 14, 2021
CIT Vacates Repository Order for China 301 Duties on Lists 3 and 4a The Court of International Trade had issued requirements for a repository list of all the unliquidated entries included in the court filings for refunds of the China 301 duties paid under List no. 3 and 4a. In a court order issued on September 8, 2021, the CIT …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 21-006 – July 7, 2021
Registration for CBP’s Virtual Trade Week is Open U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the CBP 2021 Virtual Trade Week will be held this year on July 20-22. This year’s sessions will include discussions on 21CCF, E-Commerce, Forced Labor, Export Modernization, CTPAT, and 1USG. Registration is now open, and the registration fee is only $30.00. You can get …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 20-009 – August 27, 2020
FTC Issues Proposes new Made in America Rules In July the Federal Trade Commission issued a Federal Register Notice (FRN) with new proposed rules for an unqualified claim that if a good was made in the United States and for the marking of goods as made in the United States. The rules were issued to clarify and hopefully simplify the …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 20-003 – April 16, 2020
FTC Proposes to Require Energy Labeling on Portable Air Conditioners The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a proposed rule to require new EnergyGuide yellow labels on portable air conditioners. It would also require sellers to post label information to their catalogs and websites. Portable air conditioners are defined as “a portable encased assembly, other than a packaged terminal air …
MEMO TO CLIENTS ISSUE 19-015 – December 12, 2019
Agreement on USMCA Announced The White House and Democrats in the House of Representatives have finally come to an agreement on the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. After agreeing to sidebar changes in labor, the environment, and after Mexico had conceded to some of the edits required by labor, Speaker Pelosi has been able to announce that there is an agreement on the …