CBP Administrative Messages, Web Postings, Etc.

1. CBP Issues End-of-Year Quota/TRQ Reminders

Holiday schedule - CBP notes that since December 24 and 25, 2007 are Federal holidays, CBP offices will be closed and not accepting quota entries on these days. CBP offices will reopen on December 26, 2007. CBP notes that the new calendar year quota period begins on Wednesday, January 2, 2008.

Blanket immediate delivery procedures for TRQs - CBP notes that per 19 CFR 142.23, an entry summary for TRQ merchandise must be filed within 10 working days after merchandise is authorized for release under a special permit for immediate delivery orwithin the TRQ period, whichever expires first. An entry summary filed after December 31, 2007, for merchandise released in 2007, will be subject to a liquidated damages penalty.

(See ITT's Online Archives, or 12/17/07 news, 07121710, for BP summary of 2007 blanket ID procedures. See ITT's Online Archives or 02/02/07 news, 07020205, for BP summary of CBP clarification with respect to TRQ entries under blanket I.D. procedures.)

For specific guidelines on textile tariff preference level (TPL) certificate filing requirements, filers should refer to the implementation instructions for each particular free trade agreement or preferential program.

(QBT-07-016 (also listed as QBT-07-590), dated 12/18/07, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/07_016.ctt/07_016.doc.)

2. 2008 Preliminary TRQ on Tuna and Skipjack Opens January 2, 2008

CBP has posted to its Web site a notice announcing a preliminary low-duty TRQ limit of 18,530,745 kg for tuna and skipjack, in airtight containers, not in oil, in containers, weighing with their contents not over 7 kg each.

According to CBP, this low-duty TRQ will open Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 12 noon EST, or its equivalent in other time zones, under opening moment procedures, with the high-duty tariff numbers and rates in effect for all entry/entry summaries.

CBP states that the final low-duty TRQ limit will be provided to CBP by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in March 2008. CBP will then issue proration and liquidation instructions to the field and trade. (See CBP's notice for applicable high-duty HTS numbers, instructions regarding withholding of liquidation and use of Holding Code 109, etc.) (QBT-07-592, dated 12/19/07, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/07_592.ctt/07_592.doc)

3. FDA OASIS Scheduled Down Time for December 21, 2007

CBP has issued an administrative message stating that FDA's OASIS system was scheduled to be down for maintenance Friday, December 21, 2007 between 11:00 pm (2300) EST and 12:00 am (midnight).

ABI transmissions received by FDA during that time were scheduled to be queued and processed once the maintenance was completed. Prior Notice confirmation numbers would not be transmitted back to filers during the downtime. If PN has not already been submitted, ABI filers may decide to wait out the downtime if they determine that timeliness of PN will not be adversely affected.

Alternatively, filers may submit PN via the prior notice system interface (PNSI) in which case the PN confirmation number must accompany the article of food (21 CFR 1.279(g)).

If PN is submitted through PNSI, FDA and CBP recommend that the submitter present the PNSI confirmation page, including the PN confirmation number and time stamp to CBP officers for cargo release.

If PN has already been submitted via ABI prior to the OASIS outage and confirmation has already been received, no further action is required. If PN has already been submitted via ABI and confirmation has not been received prior to the OASIS outage, FDA and CBP recommend that, rather than resubmitting via PNSI, submitters should provide to CBP officers, at the time of cargo release, an endorsed (signed) copy of the ABI transmission or some other evidence adequate to show that PN has been submitted via ABI.

(Note - During the downtime period, FDA and CBP will be operating using Contingency Plan-Scenario 2.)

FDA Prior Notice Center (866) 521-2297.

CBP Adm: 07-0284, dated 12/21/07, available at http://www.brokerpower.com/admmsgs/2007/07-0284.html

4. 2008 Duty-Free Haitian HOPE Value-Added and Woven TPLs

CBP has announced the duty-free (a) value-added and (b) woven apparel tariff preference levels (TPLs) under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement (HOPE) Act for the period December 20, 2007 through December 19, 2008. (See CBP's notice for additional details on ensembles, etc.) (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/18/07 news, 07121810, for BP summary of CITA notice announcing the value-added TPL.) (QBT-07-013, dated 12/19/07, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/07_013.ctt/07_013.doc.)

5. 2008 China Textile and Apparel Agreed Quotas

CBP has announced the 2008 agreed textile apparel quotas levels for China pursuant to the November 8, 2005 U.S.-China Textile Agreement. The opening day for these quotas is Wednesday, January 2, 2008. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/07/07 news, 07120720, for BP summary of CITA's notice announcing the 2008 China quotas.) (QBT-07-014 available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/07_014.ctt/07_014.doc.)

6. 2008 TRQs on Certain Agricultural Products from Israel Open January 2

CBP has posted five notices announcing that the 2008 "low-duty" TRQs for certain agricultural products from Israel provided for in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter VIII, U.S. Notes 3 , 4, 5, 6, and 7 will open on January 2, 2008 with the following low-duty quantities (Non-ABI entries required for low rates, see CBP notices):

(See CBP notice for list of applicable HTS numbers (for both the Chapter 97 low-duty and Chapter 99 high-duty rates) and special instructions on duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Israel Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products, etc.)

¹ITT's Online Archives, 07121245, incorrectly stated that these TRQs were for 2007, when they are actually 2008 TRQs. ITT's Online Archives have been corrected to reflect the 2008 date.

² CBP notes that the QBT for this TRQ has been revised.

(QBT-07-574, QBT-07-575, QBT-07-576, QBT-07-577, and QBT-07-578 available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/)

8. 2008 TRQ on Dried Milk and Dried Cream Opens January 2, 2008

CBP has announced that the 2008 TRQ on dried milk and dried cream as provided for in HTS Chapter 4, AUSN 8 will open on Wednesday, January 2, 2008, with a low-duty quantity of 3,321,300 kg.

CBP notes that these imports are subject to agriculture licensing. (See CBP's notice for list of applicable HTS numbers as well as special instructions on (i) when no license is used or presented, (ii) exclusion for Mexico, and (iii) high-duty reporting instructions for Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, and Singapore.) (QBT-07-587, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2007/07_587.ctt/07_587.doc.)