Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade law news:       

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)  

  • CBP launched a new electronic petition application. View here. 
  • CBP issues final rule on regulatory implementation of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise. The final rule adopts interim amendments made in a previous decision. The amendments: 
    • Establish CEEC as a permanent component of the agency 
    • Shift certain trade functions to the Centers 
    • Provide centralized decision-making authority to the Centers 
  • AD/CVD petition filed regarding aluminum extrusions – The petition filed Oct. 4 alleges that aluminum extrusions from China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam are being sold at less than fair value in the U.S. and/or benefiting from countervailable subsidies.  
  • CBP seizes potentially harmful agricultural products from Asia – the shipments contained edible birds’ nests and peanuts that were mislabeled as other products. 
  • CBP returns stolen historical artifacts to Ukraine – the agency returned 10 stolen artifacts to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a repatriation ceremony Sept. 21 at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C. 
  • CBP posts updated ACE development and deployment schedule 
  • Harmonized system update: The update contains 12,981 ABI records and 2614 Harmonized Tariff Records. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)  

  • BIS announced new best practice guidance for industry to help prevent items that are considered the most significant to Russian weaponry requirements from being diverted for use in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.  

U.S. Department of Commerce 

  • The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) invite interested stakeholders to take part in two listening session opportunities on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) for the sixth in-person negotiating round. The sixth negotiating round will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 15-24, 2023. 
  • Commerce) launched an updated Semiconductor Alert Mechanism administered by the International Trade Administration (ITA). The mechanism provides a platform to hear directly from industry stakeholders when they are experiencing disruptions. 
  • Certain cold-rolled steel flat products from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary results of antidumping duty administrative review. 
  • Stainless steel bar from India: Initiation of antidumping duty new shipper review. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)  

  • USTR announces successful resolution of rapid response mechanism labor matter at Grupo Yazaki Auto Components Factory. 

United Nations 

  • The United Nations issued a new global economic growth forecast. The forecast predicts that global economic growth will rise slightly but describes the global economy as “pretty weak.”  

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • MSC won a landmark FMC case – The FMC has dismissed a case brought against the world’s largest container line, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC). 
    • The FMC studied a congestion fee MSC charged SOFi Paper Products in a first case of its kind since the passing last year of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). 
    • In a four-to-one ruling among its commissioners, the FMC has ruled that the $1,000 charge was not an unreasonable detention and demurrage charge. 
  • The Federal Maritime Commission held an open meeting. Highlights: 
    • Update on implementation of Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 2022)  
    • Charge complaints – 402 so far this year 
    • The OSRA-mandated detention and demurrage final rule is “nearly complete” and ready for the Commission’s consideration and vote. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) 

Industry News 

  • Unresolved trade disputes continue to pile up at the WTO – The U.S. has been blocking appointment of new judges to the WTO’s Appellate Body due to complaints over judicial overreach. The result has been a sizable backlog and countries with disputes before the body are expressing frustration. 

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