§ 12.140 - Entry of softwood lumber products from Canada.

§ 12.140 Entry of softwood lumber products from Canada.

The requirements set forth in this section are applicable for as long as the Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA 2006), entered into on September 12, 2006, by the Governments of the United States and Canada, remains in effect.

(a) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of this section:

(1) British Columbia Coast. “British Columbia Coast” means the Coastal Forest Regions as defined by the existing Forest Regions and Districts Regulation, B.C. Reg. 123/2003.

(2) British Columbia Interior. “British Columbia Interior” means the Northern Interior Forest Region and the Southern Interior Forest Region as defined by the existing Forest Regions and Districts Regulation, B.C. Reg. 123/2003.

(3) Date of shipment. “Date of shipment” means, in the case of products exported by rail, the date when the railcar that contains the products is assembled to form part of a train for export; otherwise, the date when the products are loaded aboard a conveyance for export. If a shipment is transshipped through a Canadian reload center or other inventory location, the date of shipment is the date the merchandise leaves the reload center or other inventory location for final shipment to the United States.

(4) Maritimes. “Maritimes” means New Brunswick, Canada; Nova Scotia, Canada; Prince Edward Island, Canada; and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

(5) Region. “Region” means British Columbia Coast or British Columbia Interior as defined in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section; Alberta, Canada; Manitoba, Canada; Maritimes, Canada; Northwest Territories, Canada; Nunavut Territory, Canada; Ontario, Canada; Saskatchewan, Canada; Quebec, Canada; or Yukon Territory, Canada.

(6) Region of Origin. “Region of Origin” means the Region where the facility at which the softwood lumber product was first produced into such a product is located, regardless of whether that product was further processed (for example, by planing or kiln drying) or was transformed from one softwood lumber product into another such product (for example, a remanufactured product) in another Region, with the following exceptions:

(i) The Region of Origin of softwood lumber products first produced in the Maritime Provinces from logs originating in a non-Maritime Region will be the Region, as defined above, where the logs originated; and

(ii) The Region of Origin of softwood lumber products first produced in the Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut (the ‘Territories’) from logs originating outside the Territories will be the Region where the logs originated.

(7) SLA 2006. “SLA 2006” or “SLA” means the Softwood Lumber Agreement entered into between the Governments of Canada and the United States on September 12, 2006.

(8) Softwood lumber products. “Softwood lumber products” mean those products described as covered by the SLA 2006 in Annex 1A of the Agreement.

(b) Reporting requirements. In the case of softwood lumber products from Canada listed in Annex 1A of the SLA 2006 as covered by the scope of the Agreement, the following information must be included on the electronic entry summary documentation (CBP Form 7501, or its electronic equivalent) for each entry (except for entries of softwood lumber products whose Region of Origin is the Maritimes, in which case entry summary documentation must be submitted in paper as set forth in paragraph (c) of this section):

(1) Region of Origin. The letter code representing a softwood lumber product's Canadian Region of Origin, as posted on the Administrative Message Board in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) or any other CBP-authorized electronic data interchange system. (For example, the letter code “XD” designates softwood lumber products whose Region of Origin is British Columbia Coast. The letter code “XE” designates softwood lumber products whose Region of Origin is British Columbia Interior.)

(2) Export Permit Number -

(i) Export Permit Number issued by Canada at time of filing entry summary documentation. The 8-digit Canadian-issued Export Permit Number, preceded by one of the following letter codes:

(A) The letter code assigned to represent the date of shipment (i.e., “A” represents January, “B” represents February, “C” represents March, etc.), except for those softwood lumber products produced by a company listed in Annex 10 of the SLA 2006 or whose Region of Origin is the Maritimes, Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut;

(B) The letter code “X”, which designates a company listed in Annex 10 of the SLA 2006; or

(C) The letter code assigned to represent the Maritimes (code M); Yukon (code Y); Northwest Territories (code W); or Nunavut (code N), for softwood lumber products originating in these regions.

(ii) No Export Permit Number required due to softwood lumber product's exempt status. Where an Export Permit Number is not required because the imported softwood lumber product is specifically identified as exempt from SLA 2006 export measures pursuant to Annex 1A of the Agreement, notwithstanding the fact that the exempt goods are classifiable in residual Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States provisions otherwise listed as covered by the SLA 2006, the alpha-numeric code “P88888888” must be used in the Export Permit Number data entry field on the CBP Form 7501, or its electronic equivalent.

(c) Original Maritime Certificate of Origin. Where a softwood lumber product's Region of Origin is the Maritimes, the original paper copy of the Certificate of Origin issued by the Maritime Lumber Bureau must be submitted to CBP and the entry summary documentation for each such entry must be in paper and not electronic. The Certificate of Origin must specifically state that the corresponding CBP entries are for softwood lumber products first produced in the Maritimes from logs originating in the Maritimes or State of Maine.

(d) Recordkeeping. Importers must retain copies of export permits, certificates of origin, and any other substantiating documentation issued by the Canadian Government pursuant to the recordkeeping requirements set forth in part 163 of title 19 to the CFR.

[CBP Dec. 08-10, 73 FR 20784, Apr. 17, 2008, as amended by CBP Dec. 15-14, 80 FR 61285, Oct. 13, 2015]