CBP is seeking comments by Dec. 17 on an existing information collection about applications for extension of bonds for temporary importations, it said in a notice. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the information collected or to the estimated burden hours associated with the collection.
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.
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 17 (some may also be given separate headlines):
The Commerce Department issued a notice in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigation on mattresses from China (A-570-092). The agency will determine whether imports of merchandise subject to this investigation are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The period of investigation is Jan. 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018.
The Commerce Department issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigations on stainless steel kegs from China, Germany and Mexico (A-570-093, A-428-846, A-201-849), and countervailing duty investigation on stainless steel kegs from China (C-570-094).
While the changes are likely at least a year away, a KPMG managing director of Trade & Customs Services, Gisele Belotto, told clients that the "changes [to NAFTA] are pretty extensive, and a lot more than changing the name." KPMG held a webcast on understanding the trade implications of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Oct. 16. While media coverage has been extensive on the changes to the auto rules of origin, and how that will make it more difficult for Mexican and Canadian autos to enter the U.S. duty-free, KPMG professionals noted that many other products' rules of origin became looser, making it easier to qualify the imports as originating in one of the NAFTA countries.
CBP's proposed restrictions on claiming substitution drawback under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act on claims made under the old law is expected to face litigation if the rules are finalized, said Dawn Olesky, vice president of drawback operations at STTAS. Olesky spoke on an Oct. 11 webinar hosted by UPS, which owns STTAS. The proposed rules (see 1808020049) don't allow for TFTEA substitution drawback on goods associated with an entry summary that was designated as filed under the previous law.
Steel tubing made in the U.S. that is sent to Mexico for painting and other treatments and then returned to the U.S is not subject to the Section 232 tariffs, CBP said in a July 31 ruling. The ruling, NY N298549, was requested by customs broker Alex Romero on behalf of Merchant Metals. The request focused on "the country of origin of steel tubing/pipe for use as fence posts in ornamental fence panels," CBP said.
In recent editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
It’s impossible to forecast how many product-specific exemptions to the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will grant “because we’re in uncharted territory,” David Cohen, a trade expert with Sandler Travis, told a Sports & Fitness Industry Association webinar Oct. 11. With Tuesday’s deadline having lapsed for requesting exemptions to the first round of tariffs that took effect July 6, USTR denied 108 requests of the more than 10,000 filed and has yet to grant a single exemption, Cohen said.
Merchandise imported in bulk and then stored in a foreign-trade zone prior to sale is not eligible for the Section 321 exemptions when the goods are withdrawn upon consumer sales, CBP said in a Sept. 18 ruling. CBP's ruling, HQ H282601, was in response to a ruling request from Sandler Travis lawyer Robert DeCamp on behalf of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. CBP's analysis in this ruling is similar to another ruling on de minimis shipments and FTZs (see 1807180022). There are efforts underway to change the treatment of such goods, on Capitol Hill (see 1808150007) and in CBP's regulations through the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (see 1810040019).