On May 24, 2004, the International Trade Commission (ITC) released a report entitled, U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects. According to the ITC, this report assesses the comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) that the President has entered into with Australia.
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 Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on May 28, 2004, the U.S., Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua signed the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release and fact sheet stating that the U.S. and Bahrain have completed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA). Under the U.S.-Bahrain FTA, the U.S. and Bahrain will provide immediate duty-free access on virtually all products in their tariff schedules and will phase out tariffs on the remaining handful of products within 10 years.
In the May 19, 2004 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 38, No. 21), CBP issued notices: (a) modifying two classification rulings on metalized embroidery thread and decorative wired trim, and (b) revoking two classification rulings on karaoke machines. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.
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 May 25, 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 05/24/04, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/textile_critical_list/)
CIT rules in favor of Customs' classification of deodorizer distillate. In Cargill,Inc. v. U.S., the Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled in favor of Customs' classification of deodorizer distillate under the basket provision HTS 3824.90.2800 (6.5%) as "other mixtures containing 5% or more by weight of one or more aromatic or modified aromatic substances" rather than Cargill's classification claim of HTS 3823.19.4000 (3.2%) which provides for, among other things, "other industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice stating that the low-duty Tariff Preference Level (TPL) (3) for Mexico is due to expire on December 31, 2004, the date the Multifiber Arrangement expires.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on May 18, 2004, the U.S. and Australia signed the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued several notices requesting written comments from the public and other federal agencies by July 6, 2004 regarding the following unchanged information collections that it intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval and extension of the expiration date:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice stating that, effective May 5, 2004, the trade may transmit U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA) Integrated Sourcing Initiative (ISI) claims under HTS 9999.00.84 through the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) system.