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March 19, 2012 CBP Releases Guidance on U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation On March 12, 2012 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Memorandum containing the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Instructions and offering guidance regarding eligibility requirements for preferential tariff treatment. As previously reported, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement is effective with respect to goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after March 15, 2012. While General Note 33 was recently added to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), it has not been fully updated to account for amendments made to the HTSUS in 2007 and 2012. This document addresses some of those concerns and details other procedures related to implementation of the trade agreement. Topics addressed in the Memorandum include: The full text of the CBP Memorandum is available for download at:
On March 15, 2012 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published CSMS# 12-000081 which noted that the system changes associated with the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are scheduled to be ready on March 21, 2012. According to the message, only after these updates are made should the trade community begin filing Korea FTA claims. Any claims filed prior to this date in the Automated Commercial System (ACS) or the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) will be rejected. The message also notes that tariff database changes associated with the trade agreement should be completed within the next few days. In addition, the U.S. International Trade Commission has now published Revision 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTSUS) which contains the U.S.-Korea FTA rate changes and new General Note 33.
Revision 1 of the HTSUS can be accessed at:
FDA Releases new ITACS Web Portal On March 14, 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released their new Import Trade Auxiliary Communications System (ITACS) internet portal to the public. The ITACS portal is an optional system which supplements the current FDA release process. According to the FDA, ITACS allows the trade community to check the status of FDA regulated entries, electronically submit entry documentation to FDA, and provide shipment examination availability and location information to the FDA. Users are able to search for FDA entries using only the Customs entry number, with Customs or FDA Line Numbers as optional inputs. An individual account is not required. Possible future functionality includes: Please note, ITACS will only display the status of "open" entries. A final FDA admissibility decision, such as a release, will "close" the entry so that it is no longer viewable.
________________________________________ Tons News is compiled from a number of public sources that, to the best of Tons knowledge, are true and correct. It is our intent to present only accurate information. However, in the event any information contained herein is erroneous, Tons accepts no liability or responsibility.
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