Seals, Fees, Country of Origin, Indian Shrimp, GSP

August/September 2008

We’ve assembled some items that are of interest to importers/exporters.

Mandated seals on all containers in transit to U.S
Containers arriving into any U.S port will be required to be sealed with a seal meeting the ISO/PAS 17712 standard. Even foreign bound containers remaining on board arriving at a U.S port on or after October 15, 2008 are required to be sealed meeting ISO/PAS 17712 standard. For more information, go to Federal Register page at:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-18174.pdf

Governor to increase fees for containers entering at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland
Beginning July 1, 2009 importers would be paying an additional $30 per twenty-foot equivalent unit TEU if Governor Schwarzenegger approves the bill. Fee is being assessed to improve air quality at these ports.
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0951-1000/sb_974_bill_20080805_enrolled.html

Mandatory country of origin labeling for certain agricultural goods
The government is now requiring “Country of Origin” labeling for beef, pork, lamb, chicken, goat meat, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, ginseng and macadamia nuts.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-17562.pdf

Trade Court Blocks Refund to Indian Shrimp Exporters
August 13, 2008 – Last week, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) in New York blocked the refund of billions of dollars to Indian shrimp exporters despite a recent reduction in average antidumping duties to 1.69 percent.

The ruling followed an appeal by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, which represents domestic shrimp fishermen and processors in eight Southern states. SSA initiated the original antidumping proceedings back in 2003, and duties were placed on six major exporting countries, including India.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s tariff reduction ruling is suspended. If the court finds merit in SSA’s appeal, the DOC will re-examine the reduced rates that resulted from the second annual review, a process that could take more than two years.

Duties on Indian shrimp have already been reduced since first imposed in 2004, when the average rate was set at 10.17 percent. The rate was cut to 7.22 percent in early 2007.

Devi Sea Foods, a leading Indian shrimp exporter to the United States, recently had its duty cut to less than 1 percent from 4.93 percent and stood to receive a large refund on duties it already paid. The company will reportedly challenge the CIT’s ruling.
Article from www.SeafoodSource.com

USTR Considering GSP Status for Vietnam
TThe office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a notice in the Federal Register on June 20th seeking comments on designating Vietnam as a GSP-eligible beneficiary developing country. Comments would be due to the agency on August 4, 2008. The Federal Register notice is online at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-14017.pdf
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