U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and Poland have signed an agreement, the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP), which is designed to substantially reduce the number of Polish citizens arriving via direct flights from Warsaw who are denied entry at U.S. airports because of invalid or expired visas or other defective entry documents. (CBP press release, dated 09/08/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/09082004.xml)
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.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has released a report entitled the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects.
In the September 1, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 36), CBP issued a notice proposing to revoke a classification ruling on an air blow gun kit. 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 this notice.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of August 31, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), which are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 08/31/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice stating that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Implementation Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written public comments by noon on September 17, 2004 for the annual review of the eligibility of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to receive the benefits of the AGOA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its "critical list" of textiles and apparel subject to import quotas with entered quantities 85% or more filled as of August 18, 2004. CBP states that this "critical list" may be used by CBP as a reference for releasing quota merchandise "off line" when the Automated Commercial System (ACS) is down for longer than four hours. CBP notes that textile and apparel merchandise for Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) countries cannot be released "off line" until it is processed through quota. CBP further notes that if the system is down for more than 24 hours, Headquarters Quota Branch should be contacted for further instructions. CBP also states that merchandise subject to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), which are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 08/18/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice to its Web site stating that effective August 20, 2004, certain wall hangings of wool or fine animal hair, not knitted or crocheted (HTS 6304.99.10) and certain pillow covers of wool or fine animal hair (HTS 6304.99.40) that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after August 20, 2004 are eligible for Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty-free treatment provided that the proper GSP requirements are met.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources, the duty- and quota-free Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for certain non-underwear T-shirts made in one or more USTR-listed U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) beneficiary countries and entered under HTS 9820.11.12 filled on August 3, 2004 at 1:40 p.m.
with U.S.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued two notices regarding the changes made by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Acceleration Act of 2004 (AGOA III) for textiles and apparel, one of which contains instructions for requesting certain retroactive AGOA II (Trade Act of 2002) and AGOA III apparel benefits, as detailed below.