International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
FORT LAUDERDALE -- While CBP's Entry Type 86 pilot has allowed customs brokers to handle low value shipments, the agency also is seeing filers "abusing" the test by filing unverified data and pricing out other brokers who can't compete with the low fees the bad actors are charging, said CBP acting Commissioner Troy Miller in remarks at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America annual conference April 17.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of leaves and stems of rosemary and leaves and stems of tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental U.S., it said in a notice April 4. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds” with the importation of the herbs, APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the U.S., subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through June 3.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on April 4 sustained the Commerce Department's decision that Australian exporter BlueScope Steel (AIS) didn't reimburse its affiliated U.S. importer, BlueScope Steel Americas, for antidumping duties. Judges Kimberly Moore, Todd Hughes and Leonard Stark echoed the Court of International Trade in finding that it would have been "unreasonable" for the exporter to include the AD in the price charged to the importer because the "exporter itself was not responsible for those duties."
Experts invited by Georgetown Law's Center on Inclusive Trade and Development to talk about U.S.-China relations said a truce in the Trump trade war that has continued under President Joe Biden is unlikely, and that the trade war may intensify, no matter who the next president is.
The Commerce Department has released amended final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on steel propane cylinders from Thailand (A-549-839) that were used to set final assessments of AD on importers for subject merchandise entered Aug. 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022 (see 2402220068). The amendment came as the result of a ministerial error allegation from Sahamitr Pressure Container Public Company Limited (SMPC), which was also the only company subject to the review. Commerce said it agreed with the allegation, and corrected an error with respect to the selection of sales databases used in SMPC’s margin analysis. The correction results in a change to the AD rate for SPMC from 2.17% to 2.15%. The new rate is effective March 29.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala, it said in a notice released March 26. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds” with the importation of Guatemalan avocados, APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the U.S., subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through May 28.
CBP is set to publish an "artificial intelligence strategy" with “guiding principles and goals” on how CBP can use AI “responsibly and with governance," Sanjeev Bhagowalia, the assistant commissioner for CBP’s Office of Information Technology, said March 26.
The Commerce Department released the final version of regulations on March 22 that will make various key changes in the administration of antidumping and countervailing duty regulations. The changes take effect April 24.
Shrimp farmed and processed in India is frequently produced by forced labor, with workers in debt bondage and some workers living in employer-supplied housing where they are rarely allowed to leave, according to a new investigation from Corporate Accountability Lab.