The Food and Drug Administration is announcing two public workshops on April 21 - 22, 2009 and May 19 - 20, 2009 in Fayetteville, Arkansas that are intended to provide information about FDA food labeling regulations and food protection, and other related subjects to the regulated industry, particularly small businesses and startups.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is a reference manual that provides duty rates for almost every item that exists. It is a system of classifying and taxing all goods imported into the United States. The HTS is based on the international Harmonized System, which is a global standard for naming and describing trade products, and consists of a hierarchical structure that assigns a specific code and rate to each type of merchandise for duty, quota, and statistical purposes. The HTS was made effective on January 1, 1989, replacing the former Tariff Schedules of the United States. It is maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but the Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the HTS.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message containing the ABI system requirements for a new Agricultural Marketing Service fee (tax) of 0.6% on the imported value of sorghum classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers 1007.00.0020 and 1007.00.00401.
On February 3, 2009, Senator Dorgan and six other Senators sent a letter to the new Secretary of Agriculture expressing concern with loopholes in the USDA's country-of-origin (COOL) labeling rules which allow meatpackers to put a multiple country of origin label on products that are exclusively U.S. products as well as those that are foreign. The Senators conclude their letter by asking the Agriculture Secretary to revise the COOL rules to close the loopholes. (Letter, dated 02/03/09, available at http://dorgan.senate.gov/newsroom/extras/020309vilsack.pdf)
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site the January 2009 issue of its Automated Export System (AES) Newsletter.
According to sources at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on February 5, 2009, CBP updated its quota program to reflect Peru's continued eligibility as a beneficiary country for purposes of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), retroactive to February 1, 2009.
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site a list of 180 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers that are invalid for use in reporting exports (either via the Automated Export System (AES) or on a paper Shipper's Export Declaration (SED)) as of January 1, 2009.
The Census Bureau has issued an Automated Export System broadcast announcing that, effective immediately, the 2009 Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule tables in AES have been updated.
The Office of U.S. Trade Representative has filed a notice for publication in the Federal Register to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (General Notes 11(a) and 11(d)) to again list Peru as a beneficiary country for purposes of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA).
The International Trade Administration has initiated and issued the preliminary results of an antidumping duty changed circumstances review of certain activated carbon from China.
The Office of U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice stating that the U.S. intends to initiate negotiations in order to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and Vietnam.