CBP's recent Harmonized System Updates 1401 and 1402 includes the harmonized tariff schedule flags for the Environmental Protection Agency and Food Safety and Inspection Services, the two agencies participating in the Participating Government Agency Message Set pilot, said CBP. The "edits are in place to help ensure that only pilot participants file the new PGA data," said CBP in a CSMS message. "If you are not an official pilot participant, please do not submit PGA data via the new PGA Message Set." CBP opened the pilot in December (see 13121219).
Latest Harmonized System updates
CBP said its Harmonized System Update 1402 was created Jan. 16, containing 10,199 ABI records and 1,819 harmonized tariff records. Adjustments required by the verification of the 2014 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) were made, "including corrections to cotton assessments and the addition of PGA (PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENT AGENCY) indicators that are subject to the PGA message set," CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
CBP said its Harmonized System Update 1401 was created Jan. 6, containing 1,411 ABI records and 236 harmonized tariff records. The update includes Participating Government Agency indicators "that are subject to the PGA message set that will apply to the PGA pilot participants," it said. "The PGA data for the update transactions are stored on the record identifier ‘VL’ (OUTPUT) records. The PGA data for the query transactions are stored on the record identifier ‘WL’ (OUTPUT) records." . Adjustments required by the verification of the 2014 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
The Census Bureau updated, effective Dec. 31, the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) tables in the Automated Export System (AES) to accept changes to 2014 codes. AES will accept shipments with outdated 2013 codes during a 30-day grace period following the Dec. 31 expiration date. Reporting an outdated 2013 code after the 30-day grace period will generate a fatal error. The AESDirect program has also been updated with the 2014 codes and will accept shipments with outdated 2013 codes during the grace period as well. All AESPcLink users must update their AESDirect code tables to reflect the 2014 changes in Schedule B and HTS. AESDirect users who file via the website at aesdirect.census.gov will have their code tables updated via the program automatically. Census published online the 2014 Schedule B and HTS codes (here) and the current list of HTS codes that are not valid for AES (here). For more information, contact the Census AES branch at (800) 549-0595, option 1 for AES, askaes@census.gov and online at www.census.gov/trade or http://globalreach.blogs.census.gov.
CBP said its Harmonized System Update 1306 was created Dec. 19, containing 75 ABI records and 19 harmonized tariff records. The update, effective Jan. 1, contains modifications mandated by the Committee for the Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules. Adjustments required by the verification of the 2013 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
CBP said its Harmonized System Update 1305 was created Dec. 3, containing 37,016 ABI records and 6,433 harmonized tariff records. The update contains modifications due to annual special program staged rate reductions. Adjustments required by the verification of the 2013 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
The European Union issued the following trade-related releases Nov 6-7 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):
The post-sequestration, Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 funding level of $22,839,425 for the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) forced six furlough days for agency employees and caused significant disruption to the agency’s legislative mandate of harmonizing regulation in international ocean shipping, testified FMC Chairman Mario Cordero before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on Oct. 29. Cordero requested Congress authorize the agency $25 million for FY 2014.
A Chinese submission last week of a revised sensitivities list for the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) is a promising gesture but represents inadequate concessions, said industry officials as U.S. negotiators prepared to meet ITA participants in Geneva the week of Oct. 21. The participants are convening this week in Geneva to push ITA expansion conclusions by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Bali ministerial meeting in December. The revised list has not been made public, according to industry officials.
The trade industry was still assessing the short- and long-term effects of the government shutdown Oct. 1. CBP had already said its core functions would not be immediately affected (see 13093028). And the U.S. National Airspace System was operating normally Oct. 1, with no reports of any impact to operations due to the government shutdown, said The International Air Cargo Association.