The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued an interim final rule, effective October 1, 2009, which raises fiscal year 2010 user fees for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the U.S.
The next phase of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's enforcement of the Lacey Act declaration requirement for imported plants and plant products - Phase III - begins on October 1, 2009.
The New York and New Jersey Port Authority Board of Commissioners has authorized two initiatives to continue ongoing efforts to improve air quality in the region by providing incentives to shipping lines and terminal operators in the Port of New York and New Jersey to operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. The Ocean-going Vessels Low Sulfur Fuel Program will encourage the use of low-sulfur fuel by providing financial incentives to operators of ocean vessels for up to 50 percent of the cost differential between high-sulfur fuel and low-sulfur fuel. The Cargo Handling Equipment Fleet Modernization Program will reimburse participating port tenants for 20% of the cost of replacing existing cargo handling equipment with new equipment that meets federal on-road air-emission standards as applicable, or the most recent federal off-road emissions standards. (Press release, dated 09/24/09, available at http://www.panynj.gov/AboutthePortAuthority/PressCenter/PressReleases/PressRelease/index.php?id=1304)
A dozen domestic textile associations and unions have joined to comment on the Department of Homeland Security's August 17, 2009 interim rule that amended DHS acquisition regulations for products containing textiles sourced outside the U.S., as required by the "Buy American" provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The letter argues that DHS did not go far enough to implement the new Buy American provision. (Letter, dated 09/15/09, available at http://www.ncto.org/newsroom/kissellcomments090809.pdf )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a final rule, effective September 25, 2009, which makes technical corrections to provisions in 19 CFR Part 148 that set forth personal duty exemption amounts, in order to conform the regulations to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). (CBP final rule, CBP Dec. 09-37, FR Pub 09/25/09. available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-23158.pdf.
Customs and Border Protection is advising the public of the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. For the calendar quarter beginning October 1, 2009, the interest rates for overpayments will be 3 percent for corporations and 4 percent for non-corporations, and the interest rate for underpayments will be 4 percent. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/17/09 news, 09081720, for earlier BP summary.)(FR Pub 09/21/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-22614.pdf)
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on September 14, voted preliminarily to eliminate a requirement that obligates most importers and exporters to claim cargo and pre-pay a Clean Trucks Program fee. The change is designed to end a bureaucratic step that has become unnecessary, but does not impact the programs clean air goals. The decision is expected to win final Board approval in the coming weeks. The new rule is targeted to take effect on November 1, 2009. It will require pre-payment only from cargo owners who use older, polluting trucks. Most cargo (the majority of which is already moved with clean trucks or on-dock rail) will be exempt from the requirement. (Announcement, posted 09/14/09, available at http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=603&targetid=1)
Before the Trade North America Conference in Detroit, Commerce Deputy Secretary Hightower listed four key trade priorities of the Commerce Department as visa reform, export controls review, intellectual property protection, and intergovernmental cooperation and trade promotion. Also emphasized at the September 9, 2009 event was the need for enforcement of existing trade agreements to ensure free and fair trade, and to resist any impulses toward protectionism. (Remarks, dated 09/09/09, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/DeputySecretarySpeeches/PROD01_008395)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that Maran and K.S. Trading have agreed to pay a total of $85,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that the firms knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that children's hooded sweatshirts they sold had drawstrings at the neck. (CPSC press release, dated 09/08/09, available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09339.html)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is currently conducting an Automated Line Release (ALR)/Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) pilot blanket declaration program for the Lacey Act declaration, for entities that had earlier requested participation for their Phase II products.