The House Ways and Means Committee has issued an advisory announcing that it will hold a hearing on September 29, 2005 on the implementation of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Customs duty
A customs duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs duty rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight. U.S. customs duties are listed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing the opening of the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on mixes and doughs as provided for in HTS Chapter 19, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 3 for the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006.
In the September 14, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 38), CBP issued notices: (a) modifying one classification ruling on drawer pulls and (b) modifying one classification ruling on vehicle light housing. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that were contrary to its position in these notices.
CBP has posted to its Web site a notice announcing the opening of the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on blended syrups as provided for in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 9 for the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and/or the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) are expected to soon issue notices announcing the October 1, 2005 - September 30, 2006 Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) for 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).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a press release announcing, among other things, that it increased the fiscal year (FY) 2006 global "low duty" tariff rate quota (TRQ) for refined sugar (including specialty sugar), which is available on a first-come, first-served basis from any country, without the need of a Certificate of Quota Eligibility (CQE) or Specialty Sugar Certificate, to 82,815 short tons raw value (STRV), from 7,815 STRV.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site notice that the fiscal year (FY) 2006 global refined and specialty sugar "low duty" tariff rate quota (TRQ) provided for in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 5, did not fill at opening moment on September 8, 2005. (This quota would normally have opened on October 1, 2005, but opened early due to supply shortages caused by Hurricane Katrina.)
The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon announce in the Federal Register that it is eliminating the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) requirement that importer accounts have bond riders and make periodic duty payments, thus opening ACE up to nearly all comers. (JoC, dated 08/29/05, www.joc.com )
In the August 24, 2005 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 39, No. 35), CBP issued notices: (a) proposing to revoke a classification ruling with respect to Yttria C, and (b) proposing to revoke a classification with respect to a white sauce/dairy spread. CBP states that it is also proposing to revoke any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in the proposed revocation notices.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice announcing that it is accepting applications from persons (including firms, corporations, or other legal entities) who weave worsted wool fabrics in the U.S. with an average fiber diameter of 18.5 microns or less, which is suitable for making men's and boys' suits, for an allocation of the 2006 tariff rate quota (TRQ) of 2,000,000m2, as provided for in HTS 9902.51.16.