A summary of U.S. proposed text for a customs facilitation language in the Kenya-U.S. Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership says it is asking Kenya to publish all international trade information online, and to answer questions about trade without charging for the contact. It asks Kenya to maintain uniform procedures on advance rulings, and to provide appeals for customs administration issues. It asks Kenya to adopt a single window system for electronic forms and supporting documents, and to allow for immediate release of goods prior to a final determination of duties through customs bonds, and to accept electronic payment of duties.
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 Court of International Trade on May 31 said that a duty drawback claim becomes deemed liquidated after one year if the underlying import entries are also liquidated and final, with finality defined as the end of the 180-day window in which to file a protest with CBP.
CBP's Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said the agency "has suspended multiple customs brokers from participating in the Entry Type 86 Test after determining that their entries posed an unacceptable compliance risk," and that it will continue to take action against those who "abdicate their customs compliance responsibilities." The statement also said: “Any broker that has been suspended will be considered for reinstatement if it demonstrates to CBP that it has developed and implemented a remedial action plan."
The Court of International Trade on May 28 rejected the government's motion for partial reconsideration of the court's decision finding that the government violated the "implied contractual term" of reasonableness in waiting eight years to demand payment from surety Aegis Security Insurance Co. on a customs bond.
The country of origin of a Whirlpool food waste disposer is Mexico and Section 301 duties don't apply, CBP said in a customs ruling dated May 15. The agency found that, despite the motor in the garbage disposal being of Chinese origin, the manufacturing process in Mexico substantially transformed the original components into subassemblies, which were then combined to make the final food disposer.
Comments on the scope of ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on aluminum extrusions from China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam are now due June 5, said the Commerce Department in a notice released May 22 amending the scope of its CVD investigations to align it with changes adopted in its AD preliminary determinations (see 2405070079), and also extending the comment deadline. Rebuttal comments will then be due June 12.
Senators and witnesses focused on de minimis and CBP's data collecting authorities -- both sides agreeing that data collection, particularly from partner government agencies, needs to be refined, and that de minimis is a useful trade facilitation tool.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on high chrome cast iron grinding media from India (A-533-930/C-533-931). The AD investigation covers entries April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and the CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on alkyl phosphate esters from China (A-570-168/C-570-169). The CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023. The AD investigation covers entries Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
The Commerce Department issued a notice in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia (A-555-003/C-555-004), Malaysia (A-557-830/C-557/831), Thailand (A-549-851/C-549-852) and Vietnam (A-552-841/C-552-842). The CVD investigations cover entries for the calendar year 2023. The AD investigations on Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand cover entries April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and the AD investigation on Vietnam covers entries Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.