The International Trade Administration (ITA), in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, has prepared its quarterly update to the annual list of foreign government subsidies on articles of cheese subject to an in-quota rate of duty during the period April 1, 2004 through June 30, 2004. The ITA states that it is publishing the current listing of those subsidies that it has determined exist. (FR Pub 10/07/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-22596.pdf)
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 issued instructions for making 2004 retroactive claims for the (in-quota) duty-free tariff rate quotas (TRQs) under HTS 9908 for certain agricultural goods from Israel (certain butter and fresh or sour cream, dried milk, cheese, peanuts, and ice cream).
President Bush has issued Proclamation 7826, which extends duty-free tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for certain agricultural products from Israel that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2004 through the close of December 31, 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a set of amendments (dated September 16, 2004) to the January 30, 2004 version of its instructions on the filing and substantiation of claims for preferential tariff treatment made under the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA, or SGFTA).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message stating that the snow day it previously granted due to an ABI-ACH payment problem spans two days - Thursday, September 30, 2004 and Friday, October 1, 2004. CBP states that the problem that prevented the acceptance of ABI payment authorization transactions 'QN' and 'PN' was not finally resolved until the weekend of October 2, 2004.
CIT rules in favor of Customs' classification of Vitamin C drops. In Warner-Lambert Company v. U.S., the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in favor of U.S. Customs that Halls DefenseTM Vitamin C Supplement Drops were properly classified as sugar confectionary in HTS 1704.90.35 (6.1% or 5.8%, depending on the year of entry) rather than as medicaments in HTS 3004.50.5010 (duty-free).
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 September 28, 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) that are filled, may be released if entered under the "over quota" (high) rate of duty. (CBP's critical list, dated 09/28/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/cl040928.ctt/cl040928.doc )
According to Reuters, on September 27, 2004, the World Trade Organization (WTO) launched a probe into a complaint by the European Union (EU) that the U.S. had failed to drop illegal import duties on certain EU steel products from Britain, France and Spain. The article states that the panel request followed consultations where the EU stated that the U.S. had not removed all safeguard duties, while the U.S. stated that they had been adjusted after the WTO ruled them illegal two years ago. (Reuters dated 09/27/04, available at http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=6344486 )
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting comments on adding several types of goods (e.g., ten HTS numbers for certain cheese, peaches, mandarins, and clementines in Chapters 4, 8, and 20) to its previously published list of goods whose duties may be increased in the event the U.S. cannot reach agreement with the European Union (EU) for adequate compensation owed under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules as a result of May 2004 EU enlargement and EU changes to its rice import regime.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing the 2004/2005 quantities of certain knit apparel, described below, that are eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) pursuant to HTS 9820.11.09 and 9820.11.12.