In mid-February 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated that it was delaying the compliance date for inbound air shipments from its previously announced date of March 4, 2004.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reissued a November 1999 ABI administrative message which stated that there is a persistent problem with rejects of entries of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated products sent through the FDA interface with the Automated Broker Interface (ABI). The majority of such rejects result from the two scenarios described in this notice.
According to government sources, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to delay, until April 2004 or later, its "document accuracy test" of textiles and apparel that are quota-free and visa-free, and entered using entry type '01.'
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its first version (dated February 12, 2004) of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on 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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued electronic bulletin board (CEBB) messages which contain new instructions from the International Trade Administration (ITA) on accepting blanket certifications for certain exclusions from the countervailing (CV) duty order on dynamic random access memory semiconductors (DRAMS) from South Korea (C-580-851).
The General Accounting Office (GAO) has issued a report entitled, Export Controls: Post-Shipment Verification Provides Limited Assurance That Dual-Use Items Are Being Properly Used, in response to a request by Senator Jon Kyl.
On February 24, 2004, World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitrators decided that the European Union (EU) has no current right to retaliate against the U.S.' Antidumping Act of 1916 (1916 Act). However, the arbitrators did allow for the EU to retaliate if final judgments or settlements are made under the 1916 Act in the future.
Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. The following have been issued since BP's most recent update:
On February 23, 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that a "highly pathogenic" strain of avian influenza (HPAI) had been identified in a Gonzales County, Texas broiler chicken flock.
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.