Customs and Border Protection said the Centralized Examination Station (CES) at 1430-G West Pointe Drive, Charlotte, NC, will be closed after Friday April 27, 2012. The announcement for applications to operate a CES in Charlotte for the next five-year period will be issued in the near future, it said. The Area Port of Charlotte will not have a CES until a new contract is signed. Until a new CES is selected, cargo will be examined at the FIRMS code location indicated on the CBP 3461 Entry/Immediate Delivery. Those wanting cargo examined at a location OTHER than the site listed on the 3461 will need to bring a Delivery Ticket or a Permit to Transfer to the Port Office at 1901 Cross Beam Drive, Charlotte NC. Permits to Transfer will also be accepted by fax at 704-329-6144. Additional information: Assistant Area Port Director Jennifer Jameson at 704-329-6119.
Customs and Border Protection's Office of Information and Technology said it assembled a list of companies/persons offering data processing services to the trade community for the Automated Broker Interface (ABI). It said inclusion on the list doesn't constitute any form of an endorsement by CBP about the nature, extent or quality of the services that may be provided.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said April 21, 2012, that a data load has completed that affected all Entry Summary reports, all Declaration reports (under the Account Management folder), and AD-8027 (Trade Aged Liquidation ADCVD Entry Summary Report). These reports now contain the most up-to-date data. CBP said April 20, 2012 that some of those ACE Reports did not contain the most up to date data.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a reminder on its May 10, 2012 West Coast Trade Symposium at the Long Beach Convention Center. The symposium will also be available via live webcast. The symposium will include updates and announcements on the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) strategic plan; simplified processes; centers of excellence and expertise (CEEs); and One U.S. Government at the Border. The symposium will also feature a town hall session with the Acting Commissioner and CBP's leadership.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said April 20, 2012, regular ACE Maintenance Window (Saturday 2300 EDT - Sunday 0500 EDT) may be extended on Sunday, April 22, 2012. The extended window was to be scheduled from Sunday 0500 EDT -- 0730 EDT (7:30am).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo Port of Entry seized more than two tons of alleged marijuana hidden in a commercial truck April 16, during an examination at the World Trade Bridge import lot. CBP officers inspecting a 1995 Volvo tractor hauling a commercial shipment of auto parts for a secondary examination discovered 189 bundles commingled with the shipment containing a total of 4,161 pounds of alleged marijuana. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $4.1 million, CBP said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted an updated list of the interest rates (updated for the second quarter of 2012) for additional duty payments owed to Customs as a result of reconciliation. CBP notes that when a reconciliation results in additional monies owed CBP, the payment must be made with interest, calculated by the filer using the rates provided in the list. For April 1 - June 30, 2012 the rate is 2%.
CBP posted a memorandum providing proration and liquidation instructions for the 2012 in-quota (low duty) tariff rate quota quantity for tuna and skipjack (tuna).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site as of April 20, 2012, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.