President Trump & CBP Aim to Collect Unpaid AD/CVD Duties

On March 31, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) that addressed unpaid anti-dumping and countervailing duties. This new EO, “promotes the efficient and effective administration of U.S. customs and trade laws by establishing enhanced measures to collect duties”.

What are anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD)?

Dumping happens when a foreign company exports goods into the U.S. and sells those goods at less than fair market value. This in turn causes “injury to the U.S. industry”. Due to this, U.S. manufacturers or businesses can file a petition with the International Trade Commission (ITC), claiming that it has suffered an injury. Once the ITC finds that evidence of an injury exists, then the Department of Commerce (DOC or the Department) will investigate the claim. If the DOC determines that dumping occurred, then Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can withhold “liquidation of entries” and collect anti-dumping (AD) duties. AD “duties are calculated to bridge the gap back to a fair market value.”

Import Food Products? Deadline to Comply with FSVP is May 30, 2017!

What is the FSVP Rule?

The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) was created on November 27, 2015, as “a significant provision of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)”. The FSVP “shifts the burden of certifying the safety of food imports from [the] FDA to the importers themselves”. This means that importers must set up a program that verifies that both the foreign supplier of the food and the food itself will comply with United States (U.S.) laws.

Is “Made in the USA” Really Made in the USA?

Which Federal Agency Regulates the “Made in the USA” Claim?

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “the Commission”) “is charged with preventing deception and unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC created an Act that would allow the Commission to bring legal action “against false or misleading claims that a product is of U.S. origin”.

When Can I Say Made in the USA?

• For a product to be considered as “Made in the USA” without qualification, that product must be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S. How the Commission determines whether a product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S., by looking at whether there was “a ‘reasonable basis’ to support the claim at the time it is made”. To prove the “reasonable basis” standard, a manufacturer or marketer must provide “competent and reliable evidence” to the FTC.
• A qualified Made in the USA claim must describe “the extent, amount or type of [its] domestic content or processing”. This allows the consumer to know “that the product isn’t entirely of domestic origin”. The FTC warns that qualified claims can be tricky, so it is best to “avoid qualified claims unless the product has a significant amount of U.S. content or U.S. processing”.
• Ex: “60% U.S. content. Made in USA of U.S. and imported parts. Couch assembled in USA from Italian Leather and Mexican Frame.
• For a complete understanding of the FTC’s Made in the USA standard, take a look at “Complying with the MADE IN USA STANDARD”.

New FMC License Renewal Process

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) final rule governing licensing has been in effect since December 9, 2016. Under the new final rule, the FMC is requiring Ocean Freight Forwarder (OFF) and Non Vessel Owning Common Carrier (NVOCC) licenses to be renewed every 3 years using the new online license renewal system.

The FMC already sent out the first 146 notifications. DTL clients who are FMC Licensees may face cancellation if they fail to renew or update their license every three years. The great news is, now you are able to leave the heavy lifting to DTL.

31,560 Shipments Were Seized by CBP in 2016 for ONE Reason

Last year, on a typical day the U.S. Customs and Border Protections (CBP) seized about $3.8 million worth of products because of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Violations. CBP reported that the total number of IPR seizures has increased nine (9) percent since last year, from 28,865 in 2015 to 31,560 in 2016. With the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) exceeding $1.3 trillion.

What is Causing the Increase in Seizures?

·       Recordation of Trademark And Copyright With The CBP

o   In addition to registration of IPR with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO for trademarks), or the U.S. Copyright Office (for copyrights), owners can record said trademark or copyright with CBP. This additional step grants CBP additional enforcement power in both seizing counterfeit and piratical goods as well as thereafter issuing penalties for the MSRP value of the goods. In previous blog posts, we explained benefits of taking the extra step of recording your registered trademark or copyright with CBP, and CBP’s additional enforcement powers as a result of the recordations.

The Centers For Excellence and Expertise Have Arrived!

What are the Centers for Excellence and Expertise?

CBP is changing how it does business. CBP envisions an end to port shopping and uniform decision making throughout all ports of entry via use of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE). We previously advised our readers that a CEE was arriving in Miami!

By way of background, in 2012, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a Federal Register notice (77 FR 52048) that “developed a test to incrementally transition the operational trade functions that traditionally reside with port directors to the CEE.” The purpose of the test was to expand the CEEs’ ability to make decisions, by allowing the directors of the CEE to make decisions that were normally reserved for port directors. CBP’s goal for the CEEs is to “facilitate trade, reduce transaction costs, increase compliance with applicable port laws, and to achieve uniformity of treatment at the ports of entry for the identified industries (77 FR 52048).”

CBP discussed the application process, and urged importers to apply to a CEE to begin receiving the benefits of being a participating account early. 

CBP's 2017 West Coast Trade Symposium...Don't Miss It!

UPDATE - CBP JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY that registration will OFFICIALLY open on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 12:00 pm Eastern. Keep your eyes peeled for more information from CBP!

We always strive to keep you informed of the latest and greatest trade events. In this vain, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be hosting the 2017 West Coast Trade Symposium from May 24-25 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

More information about the event, including where to register, will be provided at a later date (and will be posted here). You can be sure we'll keep you in the loop as we hear more.

If you need reasons to attend (or to get your employer to foot the bill), check out these top 5 reasons.

Hate Unfair Demurrage Charges? Want to Do Something About it?

Now's the time to make your voice heard. Below details what demurrage charges are and a trade initiative that FMC is currently requesting comments on.

What is Demurrage?

• Demurrage is "a penalty charge against shippers for delaying a shipment/container at a port of loading or destination beyond the allowed free".

How Much Time is Provided for Free?

• "Free time is the grace period for which neither of these charges will be incurred." There is no standard amount of free time. Free time can change from carrier to carrier, from port to port and sometimes from container type to container type. Normally it is anywhere between 3-5 calendar days.
• Free time is supposed to include a realistic time period to assemble cargo for loading, and provide consignees a realistic time period to retrieve cargo at a terminal after unloading.
• The fee charged after the expiration of the "free time" varies. For example, for one carrier, the per diem fee can range anywhere between: $200 to $800 per day!

 What is Being Done to Change this Demurrage Fee?

• Back in December, "the Coalition for Fair Port Practices, a group of 25 members that represent shippers, receivers, motor carriers, port draymen, freight forwarders, third-party logistics companies and customs brokers", petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in hopes that the FMC would issue a ruling on extending the free time for container storage and equipment use that is disrupted by events outside of their control. Such events could be poor infrastructure, weather events, a carrier bankruptcy, port labor issues, etc.

New Executive Order...Will Small Businesses Benefit?

On January 30th, the Office of the Press Secretary released the Executive Order (EO) on reducing federal regulations and controlling regulatory costs. This latest EO requires that all federal agencies "cut two existing regulations for every new regulation they implement". According to President Trump, this EO is meant to help small businesses by easing "the opening and expansion of small businesses" and the "incremental costs for the new regulations in 2017 will be zero dollars". The EO requires “for every one new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination, and that the cost of planned regulations be prudently managed and controlled through a budgeting process.” There will also be "certain categories of regulations that will be exempt from this new policy, including those dealing with the military and national security".

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For The Single Export Licensing System!

Currently the U.S. government has three different agencies that have been given the authority to issue export licenses. Those three agencies are: the Departments of Commerce, State, and the Treasury. In 2009, President Obama ordered an interagency review of the current export control system. The review found that the current system was “overly complicated, contained too many redundancies, and, in trying to protect too much, diminished the ability to focus their efforts on the most critical national security priorities”. The review also found that many companies had to apply for multiple export licenses with each of the departments. Due to the findings of the review, the Administration created the Export Control Reform initiative to help establish a single export licensing system.

“The goal of the (ECR) initiative is to create a Single Licensing Agency (SLA), which would act as a ‘one stop shop’ for businesses seeking export license and for the US government to coordinate review of license applications.” The ultimate goal of this new licensing process would be to make the process predictable, timely, and transparent.