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October 30, 2012 Cargo Movement Affected by Hurricane Sandy The anticipated arrival of Hurricane Sandy has caused the closure of several ports in the regions that are in the storm's projected path. On October 28, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a message announcing that due to Hurricane Sandy's approach, the JFK International Airport and the Newark International airport have suspended all cargo and passenger operations on Monday, October 29, through Tuesday, October 30. The Baltimore International Airport and the Philadelphia International Airport have cancelled all international flights for Monday, but the airports remain open. The U.S. Coast Guard issued two press releases on October 29, stating that the Captain of the Port has set the ocean ports of New York, New Jersey and Delaware Bay in Philadelphia under a ZULU condition, which is set when hurricanes or storms with winds of 54 miles per hour are expected to arrive at a port within 12 hours, and will remain closed until further notice. The press releases notes that vessels greater than 500 gross tons bound for these ports must seek an alternative destination. Tons will continue to monitor conditions in the region and will report as information and developments warrant. The CBP message is available online at: The Coast Guard press releases are available at:
CBP Announces Expansion of ACAS Pilot In a Federal Register notice published on October 24, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced they are formalizing and expanding the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) pilot, in which participants submit certain information for air shipments prior to arrival to identify high-risk shipments. The notice explains that "CBP regulations implementing the Trade Act of 2002 require advance information for air cargo to be submitted no later than the time of departure of the aircraft for the United States (from specified locations) or four hours prior to arrival in the United States for all other locations. The ACAS pilot is a voluntary test in which participants agree to submit a subset of the required data elements (ACAS data) at the earliest point practicable prior to loading of the cargo onto the aircraft destined to or transiting through the United States." The notice includes information on the pilot description, eligibility requirements, application process, conditions to participate, and costs and benefits of the pilot participation. The ACAS pilot will run for six months, starting on October 24, 2012. Applications to participate must be received by November 23, 2012, but comments will be received throughout the duration of the pilot. The full text of the Federal Register notice can be accessed online at:
On October 26, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS #12-000436 announcing that the East Coast Trade Symposium, scheduled for October 29-30, 2012, has been postponed due to potential safety risks and possible travel disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy. The new date and location of the event will be announced by CBP in the future, along with registration information. The CSMS is available online at:
ITA Initiates AD-CVD Investigation on Hardwood and Plywood from China On October 18, 2012, the International Trade Administration (ITA) issued a Fact Sheet announcing the initiation of an Antidumping and Countervailing investigation of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, for a period covering January 1 through June 30, 2012. The Fact Sheet explains that "the merchandise covered by these investigations is a panel composed of an assembly of two or more layers or plies of wood veneer(s) in combination with a core. The several layers, along with the core, are glued or otherwise bonded together to form a finished product. A hardwood and decorative plywood panel can be composed of one or more species of hardwoods, softwoods, or bamboo." ITA also issued a letter to all Chinese exporters and manufacturers with questions on the quantity and U.S. dollar sales value of hardwood and plywood for the investigation period, which is due by November 7, 2012. The International Trade Commission (ITC) is schedule to have its preliminary determination of the case by November 13, 2012. The tariffs covered under this investigation fall under Chapter 44. The alleged dumping margins fall between 298.36 and 321.68 percent. The ITA Fact Sheet is available online at: The ITA letter to exporters and producers in China can be found at:
________________________________________ 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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