The end of the federal government’s FY at the end of September always portends small changes that impact importers and exporters alike. This year is no exception, as the agency has announced changes to fees for merchandise processing fee, e-commerce and entries.
Fee changes:
From CSMS 49296457, the following user fee changes are in effect on October 1, 2021:
- Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) for Formal Entry (499) limits changed to minimum $27.75 / maximum $538.40;
- Fee for Informal Entry or Release (automated and not prepared by CBP personnel) (311) changed to $2.22;
- Surcharge for Manual Entry or Release (500) changed to $3.33; and
- Dutiable Mail Fee (496) changed to $6.11.
Additional fee changes can be found in this Federal Register entry.
Long-delayed Lacey Act Phase VI implementation arriving October 1st – partial list of products requiring information provided below.
The Lacey Act as amended makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant, with some limited exceptions, taken or traded in violation of the laws of the United States, a U.S. State or a foreign country. Since 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has been phasing in the Lacey Act declaration requirement. The products that require a Lacey Act declaration are listed by Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Chapter or Heading on the APHIS Lacey Act program website.
For importers of products regulated by the Lacey Act, USDA requires the following information be submitted:
- Scientific plant names
- Country of harvest
- Value of the product
- Quantity of plant material in the shipment in metric units of measure
- Importer name/address
- Consignee name/address
- HTSUS Code
- Bill of lading
- Container number
- Manufacturer Identification Code (MID)
- Description of shipment
- Name/contact information of importer of record or their agent who is certifying the accuracy of the information on the declaration
Some of this data Sobel Network Shipping captures as part of the transportation and entry process already, but the specific information pertaining to scientific plant names and country of harvest of the plant material may not have been previously provided.
With the sixth and final phase of implementation beginning October 1st, the full list of products which will require data submission can be found here. The list includes:
Ch. 33 Headings (Essential Oils)
- 3301295109-essential oils of cedarwood
- 3301295121-essential oils of linaloe or bois de rose
- 3301295139-essential oils of sandalwood
- 3301295150-essential oils of “other”
Ch. 42 Headings (Trunks, Cases, Suitcases)
- 4202292000-trunks, cases, and suitcases of wood
- 4202992000-other, of wood, not lined
- 4202993000-other, of wood, lined
Ch. 44 Headings (Wood and Articles of Wood)
- 441012-oriented strand board (OSB)
- 4415-cases, boxes, crates, drums, containers, pallets, box-pallets, etc.
Ch. 92 Headings (Musical Instruments)
- 9205902000-wind musical instruments: bagpipes
- 9205904020-clarinets
- 9205904080-other (woodwind instruments)
- 9205904060-flutes and piccolos
- 9206002000-drums
- 9207900040-musical instruments (fretted string instruments)
- 9209.92-parts and accessories for musical instruments of heading 9202
- 9209928000-parts and accessories for musical instruments
- 9209992000-parts and accessories for bagpipes
- 9209994040-parts and accessories for other woodwind instruments
- 9209998000-parts and accessories for musical instruments of heading 9202, other
Ch. 96 Headings (Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles)
- 9620005500-monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles of wood
If you are importing products under any of the above HTS numbers and your exporter has not already been providing the information that will be required beginning October 1st, we strongly encourage you to contact them immediately to avoid any delays in clearance for missing data.
For help in phrasing these requests to your suppliers, contact your Sobel Network Shipping representative.
