Heavy Border Traffic Expected for Labor Day Weekend

(Debbie Townsend — The Bellingham Herald)

Expect heavy traffic at all border crossings throughout this weekend as both the U.S. and Canada have national holidays Monday, Sept. 6.

Canadians also celebrate Labor Day, called Labour Day there. Like in the U.S., it’s considered the last hoorah of summer, and many services and businesses are closed, though lots of restaurants and retail shopping remain open. Call ahead if you’re unsure about a business’ status.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a reminder to travelers to have all their documents needed to cross the border and to plan extra time for border backups. Crossings usually are busiest from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For updates on border traffic, go to wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/.

CFIA Easter Holiday Schedule

(CFIA)

The Import Control Division will be closed for the Easter holiday from Thursday April 1, 2010 at 4:00 pm (ET) until Tuesday April 6, 2010 at 8:00 am. If you require assistance please contact the Import Service Centres located in Toronto (ON) or Montreal (QC).

EISC – Montreal: 1-877-493-0468, 514-493-2468, FAX 514-493-4103
NISC – Toronto: 1-800-835-4486, 905-795-7834, FAX 905-795-9658

Please note: Ottawa Meat Import Control Centre (1-877-682-5191) will be opened Friday 2 April 2010 and Monday 5 April 2010 from the hours of 8 AM to 6 PM.

Happy New Year

(Video: ITN)



Best wishes to all our readers for a prosperous and compliant 2010.

A Harmonized (Tariff) Christmas

(SEDA-Council of Governments)

For this analysis, we assumed that the Lords, Ladies, maids, and entertainers are not performing defense services. Articles and material would appear to all be EAR99. Dealing only with the associated hardware, I propose the following HTS designations:

• Twelve drummers drumming: 9206.00.20 00 - Percussion musical instruments (for example, drums, xylophones, cymbals, castanets, maracas): Drums

• Eleven pipers piping: 9205.90.20.60 - Woodwind instruments: Flutes and piccolos (except bamboo)

• Ten lords a-leaping: Since there are no hereditary Lords in the U.S., the Country of Origin of the Lords would need to be specified, and the leaping activity subjected to an analysis as to whether it constitutes a defense service.

• Nine ladies dancing: See above.

• Eight maids a-milking: Given a modern interpretation: 8434.10.00.00 - Milking machines and dairy machinery, and parts thereof: Milking machines

• Seven swans a-swimming: 0106.39.00.00 - Birds: Other

• Six geese a-laying: (Assume the geese weigh over 185 gms.) 0105.99.00.00 - Live poultry of the following kinds: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas: Other, Other

• Five golden rings: Note: 9. For the purposes of heading 7113, the expression "articles of jewelry" means: (a) Any small objects of personal adornment (for example, rings, bracelets, necklaces, broaches, earnings, watch chains, fobs, pendants, tie pins, cuff links, dress studs, religious or other medals and insignia); 7113.19.50.00 - Of other precious metal, whether or not plated or clad with precious metal: Other, other.

• Four calling birds: Today when people sing that song they usually sing about calling birds. But actually many years ago they sang the song's old English words. They sang about colly, or collie, birds. Colly or collie means black, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. It comes from an old word for coal. Wikipedia pins down colly bird even more: to the European blackbird. Common in parks and cities in Europe, it looks like a dusky version of its cousin, the American robin. Both belong to the thrush family. Like all thrushes, they sing (or call) beautifully. 0106.39.00.00 - Birds: Other

• Three French hens: Live poultry of the following kinds: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas: Chickens, Weighing not more than 185 g: 0105.11.00; Breeding stock, whether or not purebred: 10 Layer-type (egg-type), 20 Broiler-type (meat-type), 40 Other; Chickens, Weighing more than 185 g: 0105.94.00.00 (We actually spent some time worrying about whether the "French Hens" might be a re-export...)

• Two turtle doves: 0106.39.00.00 - Birds: Other

• A partridge in a pear tree: 0106.39.00.00 - Birds: Other; 0602.20.00.00 - Trees, shrubs and bushes, grafted or not, of kinds which bear edible fruit or nuts.

And remember, any Christmas ornamentation falls under 9505.10: Festive, carnival, or other entertainment articles, including magic tricks and practical joke articles; parts and accessories thereof: Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof.

Credit: Tyler Brown, Sr. Export Technical Representative, Office of Export Compliance, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (reprinted with permission).

12 Days of Gift-Giving Cost True Love $21,466

(New York Times – Elizabeth Olson)

The partridge is a deal, and so is the pear tree, for the generous giver who wants to bestow the gifts listed in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” on a beloved this season. But despite a tattered economy, the memorable mix of leaping lords, milking maids and a slew of fowl will cost slightly more this year.

At $21,465.56, the eclectic collection of goods and services is about 1.8 percent more expensive than a year ago, largely because of higher gold prices, according to PNC Wealth Management in Pennsylvania.

The group has compiled the list for 26 years as a catchy way to track the annual cost of living. The Web site, http://pncchristmaspriceindex.com, now includes sample lesson plans, games, music and other media to help elementary and high school students learn about economic trends. Read more here.

CBSA Holiday Schedule

(CBSA)

The following message is from CBSA (EDI08-105)

The Electronic Commerce Unit at the CBSA will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26. December 25 and 26 will not be counted in the calculation of overdue entries. B3 entries processed and accepted on December 25 and 26 will appear on the daily K84 notice generated through overnight batch on December 29, and statement dated December 30.

The December monthly K84 will be generated on the evening of December 29 (payment details were indicated in message EDI08-101 sent on December 12th, 2008, login required). The exchange rates from December 25 through December 29 will remain unchanged.

The Electronic Commerce Unit will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2009; January 1 will not be counted in the calculation of overdue entries. B3 entries processed and accepted on January 1 will appear on the daily K84 notice generated overnight batch on Friday, January 2, and the statement dated Monday, January 5. The exchange rates from January 1 through January 2 will remain unchanged.

For emergency, please call the EDI Hotline at 1-888-957-7224.

Happy Independence Day

(Video: Associated Press/Text: U.S. Census Bureau)

Video: Fireworks lit up the sky over the South Dakota landmark Thursday night, kicking off a weekend of activities.

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million: In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970.

304 million: The nation’s population on this July Fourth. Source: Population clock.

Fourth of July Cookouts
More than 1 in 4: The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

6.8 billion pounds: Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation’s total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds). Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

6: Number of states in which the revenue from broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater between December 2006 and November 2007. There is a good chance that one of these states – Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas – is the source of your barbecued chicken. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

About 4 in 10: The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 42% of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2007. Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia and New York together accounted for 60% of the sweet corn produced nationally in 2007. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Please Pass the Potato Salad: Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. More than half (52%) of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2007. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

More than three-fourths: Amount of the nation’s head lettuce production in 2007 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Nearly 3 in 4: The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 73% of U.S. tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 96% of processed tomato production in 2007. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Georgia: The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (1 billion pounds). Other leading producers of this popular Fourth of July dessert included California, Florida and Texas, each with more than 400 million pounds. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

More than 74 million: Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It’s probably safe to assume a lot of these events took place on Independence Day. Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 1213.

Fireworks
$207 million: The value of fireworks imported from China in 2007, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $14.9 million in 2007, with Japan purchasing more than any other country ($3.8 million). Source: Foreign Trade Statistics.

$17.3 million: The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in 2002. Source: 2002 Economic Census.

Flags
$4.7 million: In 2007, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($4.3 million) was for U.S. flags made in China. Source: Foreign Trade Statistics.

$2.4 million: Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2007. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $1.2 million worth. Source: Foreign Trade Statistics.

$349.2 million: Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers, according to the latest published economic census data. Source: 2002 Economic Census.

Patriotic-Sounding Names
31: Number of places nationwide with “liberty” in their name. The most populous one as of July 1, 2006, is Liberty, Mo. (29,581). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

• Thirty-one places are named “eagle” – after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol. (Places include cities, towns, villages and census-designated places.) The most populous such place is Eagle Pass, Texas, with 26,401 residents.

• Twelve places have “independence” in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Mo., with 109,400 residents.

• Nine places adopted the name “freedom.” Freedom, Calif., with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these.

• There is one place named “patriot” – Patriot, Ind., with a population of 192.

• And what could be more fitting than spending the Fourth of July in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, population 25,596. Sources: Population estimates and American FactFinder.

The British are Coming!
$107.2 billion: Dollar value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today. Sources: Foreign Trade Statistics.