On January 23, 2004, President Bush signed into law (Public Law (P.L.) 108-199) the conference version of the fiscal year (FY) 2004 omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2673), entitled the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004." P.L. 108-199 includes eight separate appropriations measures, including the 2004 Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Act), which provides, among other things, FY 2004 appropriations for the Commerce Department.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued two notices requesting public comments by February 17, 2004 regarding "commercial availability" requests it received, variously, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), and the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) from Levi Strauss and Co.:
In U.S. v. Inn Foods, Inc., the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled that litigation filed by the U.S. on December 14, 2001 to collect Customs duties and fees from Inn Foods for violations of 19 USC 1592 regarding produce imported from Mexico was untimely by one day.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that it is postponing until no later than April 19, 2004 (from February 14, 2004) the preliminary countervailing (CV) duty determination on carbazole violet pigment 23.
| The President's fiscal year (FY) 2005 budget proposals | 02/03/04 | Senate Committee on the Budget |
| The President's FY 2005 budget proposals | 02/04/04 | Senate Committee on the Budget |
| Maintaining confidence in consumer products relating to mad cow disease | 02/05/04 | Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions |
| The Administration's Budget for FY 2005 | 02/03/04 | House Committee on the Budget |
| The Department of the Treasury Budget Priorities FY 2005 | 02/04/04 | House Committee on the Budget |
| Effective Strategies Against Terrorism | 02/03/04 | Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations; House Committee on Government Reform |
| Law Enforcement Efforts within the Department of Homeland Security | 02/03/04 | Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations; House Committee on the Judiciary |
| The Administration's Budget Proposals for FY 2005 | 02/03/04 & 02/04/04 | House Committee on Ways and Means |
On December 5, 2003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a final rule which amended the Customs Regulations to provide that CBP receive, by way of a CBP-approved electronic data interchange system, information pertaining to cargo before the cargo is either brought into or sent from the U.S. by any mode of commercial transportation (sea, air, rail, or truck).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) makes available on its Web site a number of documents related to its Customs Automated Forms Entry System (CAFES).
In the January 28, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBPBulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 5), CBP issued notices (a) proposing to revoke a classification ruling on certain waterproof clogs, (b) proposing to revoke a classification ruling regarding an artificial tree, (c) revoking a classification ruling on a canister of rain repellent, and (d) revoking a classification ruling on men's or boys' suit-type jackets. 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.
According to a White House press release, the President intends to appoint Andrew B. Maner, of Michigan, to be the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to the press release, Mr. Maner currently serves as Chief of Staff and Director of the Transition Management Office of U.S. Customs and Border (CBP) for DHS. (Press Release dated 01/06/04, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040106-2.html)
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has preliminarily determined to revoke the countervailing (CV) duty orders on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products and cut-to-length carbon steel plate products from Germany for entries of subject merchandise that have a time of entry on or after April 1, 2004.