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May 21, 2012 President Signs Continuation of National Emergency and Sanctions Against Burma In a Federal Register notice published May 18, 2012 President Obama declared a Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Burma, effectively extending the sanctions currently in force for one year beyond the previous automatic termination date of May 20, 2012. A related White House message notes that "the Burmese government has made progress in a number of areas including releasing hundreds of political prisoners, pursuing cease fire talks with several armed ethnic groups, and pursuing a substantive dialogue with Burma's leading pro-democracy opposition party. The United States is committed to supporting Burma's reform effort, but the situation in Burma continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States." The National Emergencies Act provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless extended within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration. With this notice the national emergency is now extended to May 20, 2013. The full text of the Federal Register notice can be accessed online: The White House Message is available at:
Cargo Screening Deadline Set by TSA on all International Inbound Passenger Aircrafts On May 16, 2012 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a press release announcing a deadline of December 3, 2012 for all passenger air carriers to conduct 100 percent cargo screening on international inbound flights, as required by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act. According to the TSA, the screening requirement "builds additional risk-based, intelligence-driven procedures into the prescreening process to determine screening protocols on a per-shipment basis. This process requires enhanced screening for shipments designated as higher risk, while lower risk shipments will undergo other physical screening protocols." The press release also notes that all cargo on a passenger aircraft departing a U.S. airport already undergoes screening. Domestically this process is handled by air carriers or parties voluntarily participating in the Certified Cargo Screening Program under TSA oversight.
HTS Updated to Prepare for U.S.-Colombia FTA On May 14, 2012, President Obama issued a Presidential Trade Proclamation "To Implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and for Other Purposes" which authorizes the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). The Presidential Proclamation is intended to "provide generally for the preferential tariff treatment being accorded under the Agreement, to set forth rules for determining whether goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the Agreement, to provide certain other treatment to originating goods of Colombia for the purposes of the Agreement, and to reflect Colombia's removal from the list of beneficiary developing countries under the GSP, and from the list of beneficiary countries under ATPA and ATPDEA." In addition, the USITC has released a report containing the "Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement." The report includes the text of new General Note 34, lists the tariff numbers affected by the agreement, and notes their new rates of duty, both in the first year of implementation and in each year thereafter. The United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement is effective with respect to eligible goods that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after May 15, 2012. At this time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not announced the completion of system updates which would allow entries claiming eligibility for the agreement to be accepted. An update is expected to be released soon.
The USITC report is available for download at:
Tons News, for current and past issues of Tons News by E-mail request from tonsnews@tonslogistics.com or call (310) 338-0337. ________________________________________ 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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