U.S. CUSTOMS TO RE-ESTABLISH NATIONAL COMMODITY SPECIALIST DIVISION

U.S. CUSTOMS TO RE-ESTABLISH NATIONAL COMMODITY SPECIALIST DIVISION    U.S. Customs has found new office space to house its National Commodity Specialist Division, which was displaced'during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center complex last week.
   The agency has suspended, until further notice, the 30-day tariff classification, marking, and North American Free Trade Agreement rulings program, which was administered from the NCSD office.
   Customs said industry’s requests'which had been made to the NCSD prior to the attack are presumed destroyed.
“Do not re-submit your requests to OR&R (Office of Regulations and Rulings), Customs headquarters,” the agency told the industry in a statement. “Likewise, no new requests should be submitted to Customs at this time. Customs ports which have had ruling requests referred to them by the NSCD have been instructed to hold any such requests until further notice… This suspension is temporary and will be lifted as soon as possible.”
   Customs affirmed that “parties are advised that the suspension of the rulings program does not in any way eliminate or relieve a party qualifying as an importer of record of the statutory requirement to exercise reasonable care in making entry or completing entry of merchandise.”
   For now, importers with questions can:
   * Use Customs' Web site, https://www.customs.treas.gov, to research prior rulings and to read the Customs informed compliance publications, such as “What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know about Reasonable Care.
   * Obtain advice from licensed customs brokers, attorneys and consultants.
   * Contact local Customs officers at the port of entry.
   * Use Customs’ account managers, if you’re company is selected.
   For more information, contact Anne Lombardi, deputy executive director of Customs’ Trade Programs, at (202) 927-0300.