U.S. Customs and Border Protection July 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, CBP invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Exportation of Used Self-Propelled Vehicles. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on February 22, 2012, proposing various changes to the in-bond regulations to enhance CBP's ability to regulate and track in-bond merchandise and to ensure that the in-bond merchandise is properly entered and duties are paid or that the in-bond merchandise is exported. In that document, CBP published a summary of its analysis under the Regulatory Flexibility Act and stated that the complete Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) was posted on the regulations.gov Web site. As CBP inadvertently failed to post the IRFA on the docket when the NPRM was published, CBP is notifying the public that the IRFA has now been posted and is seeking comments on the conclusion in the NPRM and the IRFA that the rule may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

This document provides notice that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') has issued a final determination concerning the country of origin of certain devices known as Pwn Plugs. Based upon the facts presented, CBP has concluded that the programming operations performed in the United States, using U.S.-origin software, substantially transform non-TAA country microcomputer devices. Therefore, the country of origin of Pwn Plugs is the United States for purposes of U.S. Government procurement.

This document amends U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect the extension of import restrictions on Pre- Classical and Classical archaeological objects and Byzantine ecclesiastical and ritual ethnological materials from Cyprus. These restrictions, which were last extended by CBP Dec. 07-52, are due to expire on July 16, 2012, unless extended. The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has determined to extend the bilateral Agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States to continue the imposition of import restrictions on cultural property from Cyprus. The Designated List of cultural property described in CBP Dec. 07-52 is revised in this document to reflect that the types of ecclesiastical and ritual ethnological articles dating from the Byzantine period previously listed on the CBP Dec. 07-52 Designated List as protected are now protected also if dating from the Post-Byzantine period (c. 1500 A.D. to 1850 A.D.) The revised Designated List also clarifies that certain mosaics of stone and wall hangings (specifically, to include images of Saints among images of Christ, Archangels, and the Apostles) are covered under the import restrictions published today. The import restrictions imposed on the archaeological and ethnological materials covered under the Agreement will remain in effect for a 5-year period, and the CBP regulations are being amended accordingly. These restrictions are being extended pursuant to determinations of the State Department under the terms of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act in accordance with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

This document announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has changed the date on which the semi-annual written examination for an individual broker's license will be held in October 2012.