U.S. Customs and Border Protection December 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations regarding the requirement to file a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) certification when importing into the customs territory of the United States chemicals in bulk form or as part of mixtures and articles containing a chemical or mixture. This document amends the regulations to establish an electronic option for importers to file the required U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) TSCA certifications, consistent with the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006. This document further amends the regulations to clarify and add certain definitions, and to eliminate the paper-based blanket certification process. The document was prepared in consultation with EPA, the agency with primary responsibility for implementing TSCA.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Intertek USA, Inc., has been approved to gauge petroleum and certain petroleum products and accredited to test petroleum and certain petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of March 15, 2016.

In 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) developed a test to incrementally transition the operational trade functions that traditionally reside with port directors to the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (Centers). The purpose of the test was to broaden the ability of the Centers to make decisions by waiving certain identified regulations to the extent necessary to provide the Center directors, who manage the Centers, with the authority to make the decisions normally reserved for the port directors. At this time, CBP is prepared to end the test and establish the Centers as a permanent organizational component of the agency and to transition certain additional trade functions to the Centers. This rule amends the CBP regulations on an interim basis to implement this organizational change by: Defining the Centers and the Center directors; amending the definition for port directors to distinguish their functions from those of the Center directors; identifying the Center management offices; explaining the process by which importers will be assigned to Centers; providing the importer with an appeals process for its Center assignment; identifying the regulatory functions that will be transitioned from the port directors to the Center directors and those that will be jointly carried out by the port directors and the Center directors; and providing clarification in applicable regulations that payments and documents may continue to be submitted at the ports of entry or electronically.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Intertek USA, Inc., has been approved to gauge petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of January 26, 2016.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Intertek USA, Inc., has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of March 2, 2016.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that SEA, Ltd. has been accredited to test certain wax and candle products under Chapter 34 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) for customs purposes for the next three years as of September 15, 2016.

On August 30, 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing plans to make the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) the sole electronic data interchange (EDI) system authorized by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for processing electronic drawback and duty deferral entry and entry summary filings. The changes announced in that notice were to have been effective on October 1, 2016. On October 3, 2016, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that the effective date for the transition to ACE as the sole CBP-authorized EDI system for electronic drawback and duty deferral entry and entry summary filings would be delayed until further notice. This notice announces that the effective date for the transition will be January 14, 2017.

This document announces U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) plan to modify and clarify the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test pertaining to the processing of post-summary correction (PSC) claims to entry summaries that are filed in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), as well as the periodic monthly statement (PMS) test. The modifications made by this notice eliminate some requirements and liberalize certain requirements needed for the filing of a PSC making it easier for importers to file a PSC for additional entry types, and allowing for additional time to make a deposit for duties, fees and taxes owed. With regard to the PMS test program, this notice announces the time at which CBP considers a PMS as paid when filers use the Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit process. Except to the extent expressly announced or modified by this document, all aspects, rules, terms and conditions announced in previous notices regarding the tests remain in effect.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Saybolt LP has been approved to gauge petroleum and certain petroleum products and accredited to test petroleum and certain petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of April 27, 2016.

This final rule amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect the imposition of import restrictions on certain archaeological material from the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt). These restrictions are being imposed pursuant to an agreement between the United States and Egypt that has been entered into under the authority of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act in accordance with the 1970 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. The final rule amends CBP regulations by adding Egypt to the list of countries for which a bilateral agreement has been entered into for imposing cultural property import restrictions. The final rule also contains the designated list that describes the types of archaeological material to which the restrictions apply.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Camin Cargo Control, Inc., has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and certain petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of July 13, 2016.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that SGS North America, Inc., has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of June 9, 2016.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Vessel of Entrance or Clearance Statement (CBP Form 1300). CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.