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.
A CBP headquarters official, chosen to help shape national policy on de minimis, said that while the trade community welcomed the opportunity for electronic clearance of packages that require partner government agency review, importers are often not following the reasonable care standard required for Type 86 entries. The Type 86 test is for packages that are low enough value to avoid duties under the de minimis statute, but are not eligible for de minimis because they contain goods that PGAs inspect. If importers participate in the test -- and there were more than 623 million packages last fiscal year that were covered -- they must provide a 10-digit Harmonized Tarff Schedule code.
The Agricultural Marketing Service will begin with a period of soft “enforcement discretion” once its new regulations on organic import certificates take effect on March 19, but importers should nonetheless be working now to get their organic certifications as required under the rules, an AMS official said, speaking during a recent webinar.
The Federal Maritime Commission added Hede (Hong Kong) International Shipping and removed COSCO Shipping Lines (Europe) from its list of controlled carriers, the agency said in a Feb. 26 notice.
The Border Trade Alliance urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a Feb. 26 letter, to work with his congressional colleagues to prevent a lapse in appropriations for federal agencies in early March, saying a government shutdown would “exacerbate an already precarious situation at the U.S. southern border.”
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Feb. 26 Federal Register on the following AD/CVD injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Feb. 26 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department looks set to recognize an Indian company’s name change for the purposes of antidumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET film) from India (A-533-824). In the preliminary results of a changed circumstances review, the agency preliminarily found Garware Hi-Tech Films Limited is the successor-in-interest to Garware Polyester Limited. Commerce preliminarily found Garware Hi-Tech operates as materially the same business entity as Garware Polyester with respect to the production and sale of subject merchandise.
Boiled garlic cloves that are individually frozen and imported by Export Packers Company are subject to an antidumping duty order on fresh garlic from China, the Commerce Department said in a Feb. 21 scope ruling. Although frozen garlic has a different chemical composition than fresh garlic and is used in different recipes, it's not different enough to fall into the order’s exclusion for garlic subjected to further heat processing, the department said.
On Feb. 23, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of: