CBP will on Feb. 15 begin deactivating some Section 232 exclusions when they reach 95% of capacity, addressing concerns in a recent Government Accountability Office report that duties were going unpaid because the agency was letting importers exceed their exclusion limits (see 2307210064).
The International Trade Commission posted the 2024 Basic Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The new HTS implements the restoration of AGOA benefits for Mauritania and their removal for the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger and Uganda, as well as a lengthy list of 10-digit-level changes for fruits and vegetables, chemicals, medicaments and recycled aluminum. Changes were effective as of Jan. 1 unless otherwise noted.
Correction: Changes to the tariff schedule resulting from the addition and removal of countries from African Growth and Opportunity Act benefits also affected various other notes in the tariff schedule beyond General Note 16, including U.S. Note 7(a) to Subchapter II of Chapter 98 and U.S. Notes 1 and 2(d) to Subchapter XIX of Chapter 98 (see 2401020049).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The U.S. affiliate of a Dutch multinational company didn’t have the right to make entry, despite claiming to act as a sales agent and receiving a commission based on sales of the underlying merchandise, CBP said in a ruling recently posted to its Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) database.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements determined that polyester/spandex woven fabric, covered by Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings 5407.51, 5407.52, or 5407.53, of a certain specification sought by Konffetty, can be imported from outside the region, without losing the tariff benefits of the Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Konffetty has a factory in El Salvador; a textile mill in Guatemala argued that the fabric wasn't in short supply, that it could supply Konffetty, but CITA ruled that Summitex didn't demonstrate "its ability to supply the subject product in commercial quantities in a timely manner."
Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., introduced a bill last month that would cover Uruguay under the trade benefits in the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. "Uruguay is one of America’s best friends in South America and is a shining example of how economic freedom promotes prosperity," Salazar said in a news release. She said she wants to increase economic exchange between the two nations.
Cannabis industry companies should take stock of their import supply chains and CBP clearance procedures in the wake of actions against shippers for undervaluing merchandise, law firm Neville Peterson said in a Jan. 2 blog post. While undervaluation for cannabis-related goods "may have gone undetected due to CBP's unfamiliarity with" the products, CBP is "moving up a learning curve," allowing for easier detection and greater due diligence for importers, the post said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2315 Dec. 29, containing 5,221 ABI records and 874 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2315 includes end of year 484(f) and 2024 annual stage rate changes, CBP said in a CSMS message.