U.S. AIR CARGO SCREENING RULE REVISED TO ELIMINATE TWO REQUIREMENTS
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has issued a final rule making two changes to a September 2009 interim final rule codifying a statutory requirement to establish a system to screen 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft reports World Trade Interactive. The 2009 rule applies only to cargo loaded in the U.S. and does not apply to (a) U.S. aircraft operators or foreign air carriers when they load cargo outside the U.S. and transport it into the U.S. or (b) U.S. or foreign all-cargo operations.
The 2009 rule established the Certified Cargo Screening Program, in which TSA certifies shippers, indirect air carriers and other entities as certified cargo screening facilities to screen cargo prior to transport on passenger aircraft. Each CCSF applicant has had to successfully undergo an assessment of their facility by a TSA-approved validation firm or by TSA. In response to public comment, TSA is now removing all validation firm and validator provisions because it has the capacity to review and certify all CCSF applicants itself. As a result, TSA will henceforth conduct all assessments of facilities applying to become CCSFs.
The 2009 rule also requires aircraft operators and foreign air carriers to become certified as CCSFs to screen air cargo off-airport. TSA is deleting this requirement because these entities are already screening cargo on-airport under a TSA-approved security program and do not need a separate certification to screen cargo off-airport.
In addition, TSA is proposing a fee ranging from $31 to $51 for the processing of security threat assessments for aircraft operators, foreign air carriers and indirect air carrier personnel who have unescorted access to screened cargo to be transported on passenger aircraft to screen cargo, supervise the screening of cargo or perform certain other security functions.
http://www.strtrade.com/wti/2011/august/18/tsa_air_cargo.pdf
REMINDER - 2012 VERSION OF THE HARMONIZED SYSTEM NOMENCLATURE IS NOW AVAILABLE
The World Customs Organization announced in June that the 2012 version of the HS Nomenclature is now available. The 2012 version is the fifth edition of the HS since the system came into effect in 1988.
The HS Nomenclature comprises 220 amendments in response to the need to increase the precision of the Nomenclature texts to ensure their uniform application. The WCO Explanatory Notes - Harmonized System 2012 will be available from July 2011.
http://wcoomdpublications.org/harmonized-commodity-description-and-coding-system-1.html
GROWING LUMBER EXPORTS BALANCE CANADIAN PORT TRADE
Canada National and Canadian Pacific railways' new and expanded trans-load centers for stuffing lumber, logs and other products into containers bound for Asia will help the ports at Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, keep trade balanced reports the Journal of Commerce. Asia's hunger for Canadian lumber has allowed the ports to buck a decades-long trend of importing far more than they exporting. Port Metro Vancouver's CEO said the balanced import-export ratio makes the port attractive to shipping lines, especially since the port's export of lumber to China is growing. Lumber companies "are intending further investments into putting lumber into containers for the Port of Vancouver." At Port Metro Vancouver, lumber exports are up 48.1% for the first half of this year, to 2.3 million metric tons, to serve China's new interest in home building with lumber. There is also a small resurgence in Japan's traditional substantial use of Canadian lumber, received in break-bulk vessels.
The story is similar at Prince Rupert. Aside from strong exports of lumber and logs, demand for metallurgical and thermal coal for steel plants and power plants is robust. Exports of grain to China also remain strong although they are off from a record year in 2010. For the first seven months of this year, container traffic was up 16.5%, while inbound container volume was flat and outbound traffic was up 82.3%. Port Metro Vancouver handled 58.7 million metric tons of cargo in the first half this year, against 10.8 million for Prince Rupert. Overall Vancouver tonnage grew only 0.8% but the chief export areas; dry bulk (34.4 million tons) and containerized cargo (10.6 million) were up 5.3% and 5.6% respectively. Loaded outbound TEUs grew 12.2%; empty outbound TEUs fell 16.4%.
SHIPPERS REQUEST GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN JNPT (MUMBAI) CONGESTION
Expressing concern over the congestion at the country's leading container port of Jawaharlal Nehru in Mumbai, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has asked the government to intervene soon and solve the problem, reports Cargo News Asia. The congestion follows a decision to replace old cranes used at the port with new ones. FIEO claimed that shipping lines are levying additional charges from shippers for discharge of cargo from the Mumbai port to avoid congestion. It also referred to instances of alleged diversion of cargo destined for northern India to Mundra at the expense of shippers. The president of FIEO, said if the authorities concerned do not intervene soon, the problem may become a full-blown crisis.
He said the quantum of surcharge levied by shipping lines vary as each of them have taken independent action to recover the additional costs from shippers. He said as such, the surcharges at the Mumbai port are unwarranted as crane replacement work was notified well in advance to the trade and shipping lines by the authorities.
CHOW TO REQUEST IMPORTER CONFIDENTIALITY WHEN IMPORTING/EXPORTING VIA US PORTS
For goods arriving/departing in the U.S.A. via marine ports, importer data and potentially confidential commercial information is taken from the manifest data and made public through reports such as the Piers Report. If Canadian cargo is FROB (Freight Remaining on Board), or in a container arriving in North America via a US port, the Canadian commercial data is also publicly available through these reports. Importer names on entry documents are confidential and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not disclose names of importers to the public. The privacy statute, 19 CFR 103.31 (d), however, allows the media to collect manifest data at every U.S. port of entry. Reporters collect and publish names of importers from vessel manifest data and make it available on the internet, unless an importer/shipper requests confidentiality.
It is possible for importers to request confidentiality for 2 years by writing the Privacy Branch, 799 Ninth St., N.W., Fifth Floor Mint Annex, Washington, DC 20229.
We would also like to remind Members that the U.S. CBP Vessel Manifest Confidentiality Web Form request has been removed (03/04/2011) until further notice from the CBP Website.
Follow link here.
Several Members came back to us stating that a U.S. address was required. Canadian importers and exporters who have tried to request "vessel manifest confidentiality" through the web link were rejected. CIFFA has written a letter to the Department of Homeland Security requesting assistance and further information but this request is still pending.
CIFFA Members are encouraged to share this information with their customers. CIFFA will provide further updates as information becomes available.
U.S. CBP NEW CUSTOMS BOND FORMS NOW AVAILABLE FOR USE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced August 11 that the new CBP forms 301 (Customs Bond) and 301A (Addendum to CBP Form 301) are now available for use. Through the remainder of 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will accept either these new versions or the CBP 301 version with an expiration date of 12/31/2010.
For any bonds presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on or after January 1st, 2012; the new version of the CBP Form 301 with an expiration date of 3/31/2014 must be used. The forms can be downloaded at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/forms/
U.S. CBP INFORMATION NOTICE e-MANIFEST: RAIL AND SEA
Building on the foundation of e-Manifest: Trucks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be deploying new capabilities later this month that will allow rail and sea carriers to transmit electronic manifest data to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Please refer to the below link for a summary on enhancements. All members of the trade community should review the notice since new ACE capabilities are not limited to rail and sea carriers. Details at: Follow link here.
AFRICAN COPYCAT PIRATES BECOMING BOLDER
Success of Somalis inspires attacks on tanker vessels in coastal waters further south.
Despite the best efforts of the world's navies, piracy in the Indian Ocean/Gulf of Aden and Red Sea regions shows no sign of abating reports IFW. According to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre, more than 60% of all piracy incidents reported last year were by pirate gangs operating off the coast of Somalia and in the Arabian Sea. The bureau warned that the success of Somali pirates had not gone unnoticed by criminals in other parts of the African continent. Since May, there have been increasing reports of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and off the coast of West Africa. The incidents prompted the centre to issue a specific warning in June, citing eight attacks off Cotonou, Benin. The Piracy Reporting Centre said: "Since then, the number of attacks has increased significantly, although it's virtually impossible to accurately gauge the amount of pirate activity, due to insufficient reporting from the region"
The Gulf of Guinea is regarded as an important emerging trade hub, spanning a dozen countries from the tip of North-west Africa to Angola in the south. It is a valuable source of oil, and pirates in the region are targeting diesel and oil tankers in particular. The centre added: "With so much potentially at stake, it is perhaps remarkable that little is being done on the international stage to combat piracy in the region.
In a report published last week, the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre said Somali pirates are attacking vessels in international waters, which means their crimes are legally recognised as "acts of piracy". The attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and off the coast of Nigeria occur in national or coastal waters, and therefore do not legally qualify as "acts of piracy". The centre said: "Semantics aside, if armed men board your vessel and threaten your crew and cargo, it is hard to not call it piracy. However, the law is the law."
LAUNCH OF NEGOTIATIONS TO MODERNIZE THE CANADA - COSTA RICA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
On August 11, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, announced the two countries will begin negotiations to modernize the existing Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement. The Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement (CCRFTA) is a first-generation agreement that focuses mainly on trade in goods and does not include substantive provisions in areas such as cross-border trade in services, investment and government procurement. More at this link.
CANADA AND MEXICO REACH AN EXPANDED AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT
The Canadian Government has announced that Canada and Mexico have reached an expanded air transport agreement, which will facilitate increased travel and trade between the two countries. "The expanded air transport agreement builds on the existing air transport agreement to benefit travellers, shippers, and the business sectors of both countries."
This expanded agreement provides a completely open framework for direct flights between Canada and Mexico, thereby allowing any number of airlines from both countries to offer more services between any Canadian and Mexican cities. The agreement also provides greater flexibility to adjust prices according to market forces and modernizes safety and security provisions. The agreement is being applied on an administrative basis, allowing airlines to offer new services immediately, once designated by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Since November 2006, Canada's Blue Sky policy has encouraged long-term, sustainable competition and the development of new and expanded international air services. Under this policy, the Government of Canada has concluded open, new or expanded air transport agreements with 57 countries. More at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=616219
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