CBP Proposes Increase in Informal Entry Limits

Today in the Federal Register, CBP published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes an increase the limit of informal entries from $2,000 to $2,500.  The Customs Modernization provisions under NAFTA authorized the $2,500 limit; however, the current limit of $2,000 has been in place since 1998.    Raising the limit will help address inflation since the last amount was set and reduce the administrative burden on importers and customs brokers.   Additionally, CBP proposes to change the language that requires formal entry for certain articles that were previously subject to absolute quotas. 

Comments must be submitted by December 27, 2011 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal or by mail.  Click HERE to view the details of the notice and instructions for submitting comments.   

Cargo Systems Messaging Service

CBP has been busy this week posting announcements using the Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS).  A summary of the messages is provided below, along with a link to more detailed information. 

The CSMS communicates general information of interest to the trade community including:

·         Currency exchange rates.

·         Changes to the HTS.

·         Antidumping and countervailing duty cases.

·         New or changed entry procedures.

·         Port power outages and closings.

·         Other government agency notices.

The messages are searchable using keywords and groups. The groups are set up to address specific interests such as ABI, ACE Outreach, ACE Reports, Air Manifests, Truck Manifests and more.  Individuals can receive these messages via email by registering for a free subscription. 

CSMS 11-000270

ACE Customer Satisfaction Survey Extended

Date: 10/27/2011

CBP is extending the time to respond to the 2011 ACE Customer Satisfaction Survey to midnight November 2, 2011. 

The survey may be accessed at .  The survey is voluntary and anonymous.  Unless comments are provided, the survey will take between 5-10 minutes.

CSMS 11-000269

Three New AGOA Lesser Developed Countries - Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Niger

Date: 10/26/2011

Effective October 25, 2011, the President designated Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Niger as eligible

for AGOA lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country preference.

CSMS 11-000267

ATPA/ATPDEA Extended Retroactively, Instructions for the Trade Community

Date: 10/26/2011

This announcement explains that the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) have been extended to July 31, 2013.   The renewal is retroactive, which means refunds will be available for duties paid on eligible merchandise while the program lapsed. The message provides information on how to request a refund for duties paid during the lapse period.

CSMS 11-000266

Generalized System of Preference (GSP) Extended Retroactively, Instructions for the Trade Community

Date: 10/26/2011

The Generalized System of Preferences was extended to July 31, 2013.  This renewal is retroactive.  CBP will begin processing refunds for entries filed via ABI utilizing the Special program Indicator “A” for duties deposited during the lapsed period from January 1, 2011 through November 4, 2011. The notice provides instructions for filers of entries where no SPI was transmitted so that a request for a retroactive GSP claim and refund can be processed.

CSMS 11-000264

Revised Entry/Entry Summary Deletion and Cancellation Information

Date: 10/24/2011

This announcement provides an update to the original document posted on 9/21/2011.  Various errors were found in the original document, so an updated document is attached to the announcement.

CSMS 11-000262

Merchandise Processing Fee (Class Code 499) Rate Change Information

Date: 10/21/2011

This notice informs the trade that CBP is in the process of modifying ABI to accept the new MPF rate of 0.3464%.  CBP will notify the trade in future message when the changes have been made and entry summaries can be submitted using the new rate.

Click HERE to view the full text of these messages and search for other notices.

Trade Outreach Webinars Updated

CBP has been hosting live webinars on a variety of trade topics.  Each webinar is recorded and available on the CBP website for on-demand viewing on the Internet.  PowerPoint presentation slides are also available for downloading.

CBP recently added two webinars, CBP ACE Courtesy Notice of Liquidation and Practical Suggestions to Mitigate Cargo Security Risks.   Click HERE to access the new webinars, as well as the older postings.  

ICE Shops at Flea Markets

Flea market vendors, beware! Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may be doing some of their holiday shopping at your flea market.

On October 14, ICE agents paid a visit to the D.C. Farmers Market where they served search

warrants and conducted plain view searches. Agents seized over 18,000 pieces of counterfeit merchandise with a retail value of almost $3 million. Prior to the seizures, agents made purchases from some of the vendors, which were determined to be counterfeit.

Without enforcement, manufacturers will continue produce lower cost inferior goods that violate the trademark, copyright and patent laws. Some of these inferior goods such as pharmaceuticals could be hazardous to consumer’s health because they are not manufactured under the same regulations and processes as the patented or trademarked goods. Trade in counterfeit goods also costs the true owners around the world billions of dollars annually.

If you shop at a flea market and find name brands such as New Balance, Fendi, Versace, Calvin Klein, NFL and other recognized brands at a price that sounds too good to be true, consider that the goods may be counterfeit. Do your part to protect intellectual property rights. If you discover name brand goods that are being sold in unusual locations and at a price that is artificially low for the brand, report the information to the IPR Center by contacting the toll-free hotlin3e at 866-IPR-2060 or completing the online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp

If you are a vendor selling counterfeit goods, you should beware. The sweet little old lady or the teenager buying your goods could be an undercover ICE agent!

Source:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2011, October 17). ICE HSI seizes $3 million worth of counterfeit items at D.C.-area flea market. Retrieved from http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1110/111017washingtondc.htm

GSP Back From the Dead – Again!

There is a creature that has more lives than a cat, the Generalized System of Preferences “GSP.”  Along with approving the free trade agreements, our government representatives were busy reviving GSP last week.   The most recent renewal is retroactive for GSP-eligible entries imported after December 31, 2010 and extends the preferential treatment until July 13, 2013. GSP was included in H.R. 2832, which also renewed the Trade Adjustment Assistance and provided an increase in the Merchandise Processing Fee from 0.21 percent to 0.3464 percent.  All programs are awaiting the signature of the President.

FINALLY – New FTAs Moving Forward

Last week the U.S. Congress approved the implementing legislation for the free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. There are still actions that need to take place before the agreements become effective. The agreements will not become effective before January 1, 2012. The United States Trade Representative posted a fact sheet that explains the steps that need to be taken before the agreements take effect. Click HERE to read about these steps.


After being delayed for several years, I think I’m hearing sighs of relief and a few “it’s about time” comments instead of the big cheers and hoopla one might normally expect.

BOLO: New Format for CBP Bills

CBP unveiled the new format for bills (CBP Form 6084) used to collect monies owed to the government.  While most of you may never see a bill from CBP, it's important for your employees to know what the new form looks like so they can identify it and make sure it is routed to the appropriate location. Remember, 19 CFR 24.3 states most bills are due and payable within 30 days of the date of issuance, with the exception of dishonored checks or dishonored ACH transactions that are due within 15 days.  


Click HERE to view a copy of the new format for the CBP Form 6084.

October 2011 Customs Broker Exam Answers

Congratulations to everyone who took the Customs Broker Exam today!

Thank you to Pam Berry and the employees at Marisol International for providing a copy of the test.   I hope to post some of proposed answers later this evening and the remaining answers sometime on Tuesday.

Click HERE for preliminary answers.

Additional answers will be posted as they are completed.   Due to the volume of questions, I will not be able to answer emails.   If you want to post an appropriate comment, they will be posted so that the readers can discuss the answers with each other.  Detailed comments may be available for some questions, so post the question number if you want to see detailed comments on a specific question that has been answered.