Agence France Presse

The anti-dumping andcountervailing duty investigations were requested by the Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood, representing six U.S. timber products companies.

The United States launched Thursday a probe of Chinese imports of hardwood and decorative plywood suspected of being sold at below-cost in the U.S. market.

The Commerce Department said the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations would look at imports of the products, composed of two or more layers of wood veneer in combination with a core. The plywood is used for indoor applications, such as wall panels, kitchen cabinet components, furniture components and for certain engineered wood flooring.

The investigations were requested by the Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood, representing six U.S. timber products companies, the department said.The U.S. International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its preliminary decision on whether the investigations should continue in mid-November.

If given the go-ahead, the Commerce Department will be scheduled to make its preliminary countervailing and anti-dumping duty determinations in December 2012 and March 2013, respectively.

 

Washington — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announces today the release of the updated Bonded Warehouse Manual for Customs and Border Protection Officers and bonded Warehouse Proprietors. Bonded Warehouses provide storage facilities for imported cargo that is pending importation into or exportation from the United States. The Bonded Warehouse Manual was last updated in 1990.

The Bonded Warehouse Manual was developed by CBP to serve as a comprehensive guide to understanding bonded warehouse operations. The publication brings together many different references into one document including laws, regulations, other agency issuances, and rulings dealing with bonded warehouses.

The majority of the manual deals with bonded warehouse operations and procedures, however, information is included regarding centralized examination stations (CES) and container freight stations (CFS).

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced that the eManifest implementation timeline for highway carriers will begin on November 1, 2011. This means on November 1, 2012, highway carriers that do not comply with the requirement to electronically transmit cargo and conveyance data ahead of arrival at the border will be denied entry and will face zero-rated (non-monetary) penalties. Subsequently, on May 1, 2013, highway carriers that do not comply with the requirements will be denied entry to Canada and face monetary penalties.

“When fully implemented, eManifest will be a virtually paperless process that starts before shipments even reach the border and will improve two-way communications between trade and the CBSA,” said Cathy Munroe, Vice-President, Programs Branch. “By rigorously performing risk assessments on advance commercial information, the CBSA’s border services officers will be better able to ensure that shipments identified as being of unknown and high-risk are examined and low-risk, legitimate goods cross the border more efficiently.”

CBSA also recently made electronic data transmission requirements easier to achieve with the launch of its internet-based eManifest Portal. The eManifest Portal allows businesses to electronically submit their cargo and conveyance data to the CBSA via its Web site.

eManifest is a major Crown project that is improving the way commercial goods coming into Canada are processed while enhancing the safety and security of Canadians and international trade.

For more information on eManifest requirements, visit the CBSA Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

Washington — U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Import Safety Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC) is on the lookout for illegal imports of noncompliant High Intensity Discharge (HID) conversion kits, light sources, and ballasts. Since receiving a commercial allegation in December 2010, CBP has identified hundreds of shipments for examination at various ports of entry across the U.S. including Los Angeles, Anchorage, Cleveland, San Juan, Miami, Detroit, Champlain, Orlando and Seattle.

Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) is in the process of re-examining its approach to the applicability of transaction value in the context of post-importation adjustments for “related party” transactions. Specifically, CBP is asking the public to provide comments on the broadening CBP’s interpretation of what constitutes a “formula” for purposes of using transaction value, thereby allowing post-importation adjustments. In order to permit the orderly administration of these upward and downward post-importation adjustments, CBP is considering modifying prior rulings in order to allow the transaction value basis of appraisement in these circumstances, provided that the importers use the reconciliation program for declaring the value of the affected importations.

Thomas Russell — Furniture Today, September 26, 2011

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce has assigned a 7.24% antidumping duty rate for the 2009 shipments of Chinese bedroom producer Zhangjiagang Zheng Yan Decoration Company Ltd., sharply lower than the 41.75% that was previously announced.

The DOC said that a review of the company had been rescinded. As a result, it should have been assigned a final duty of 7.24%, or its original cash deposit rate, officials said.

Based on research provided by trade data specialist Zepol Corp., Butler Woodcrafters of Chase City, Va., was a primary importer of bedroom products from this particular factory in 2009.

The change does not affect the all-China rate, which remains at 216.01%.

Antidumping duties are assigned to each Chinese factory but are paid by importers of record. The duties aim to bring a more level playing field to domestic producers that have been injured by unfairly priced bedroom furniture from China.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have announced that part of the San Ysidro, Calif. port of entry has reopened for vehicle processing.

At midnight Pacific time, CBP officers anticipated being able to use 13 vehicle lanes to process travelers. Depending on traffic volume, CBP would normally operate about this many traffic lanes, or fewer, at this time in the evening. To accommodate the expected traffic, all 13 available lanes were operational starting at midnight. ( Southern California Port to Reopen to Pedestrians Following Construction Accident )

CBP re-opened the bus lane at the port to process buses only. The passenger-only processing area reopened yesterday evening.

SENTRI members will have access to a dedicated SENTRI lane that and they will be redirected to the open lanes when they arrive at the port.

General traffic must use the approaches in Mexico that lead to the western side of the port of entry, or to the left as you approach the border crossing from Mexico. The approaches on the eastern side of the border crossing remain closed.

As of early hours of Sept. 15, CBP does not expect to be cleared to open more vehicle lanes today. Updates will be provided as soon as available and local Southern California media are monitoring the situation.

Vehicle traffic can still cross at either the Otay Mesa passenger and cargo port of entry or the Tecate passenger and cargo port of entry.