[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34847-34848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16480]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Customs Service
Procedures if the Generalized System of Preferences Program
Expires
AGENCY: Customs Service, Treasury.
ACTION: General notice.
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SUMMARY: The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a renewable
preferential trade program that allows the eligible products of
designated developing countries to directly enter the United States
free of duty. The GSP is currently scheduled to expire at midnight on
June 30, 1999, unless its provisions are extended by Congress. This
document provides notice to importers that claims for duty-free
treatment under the GSP will not be processed by Customs for
merchandise entered or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption on or
after July 1, 1999, if the program is not extended before that date.
This document also sets forth the mechanisms that will facilitate
refunds, should the GSP be renewed with retroactive effect.
DATES: The plan set forth in this document will become effective as of
July 1, 1999, if Congress does not extend the GSP program before that
date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions relating to the
Automated Commercial System:
James Halpin, Office of Information Technology, 703-921-7128. For
general operational questions:
Formal entries--John Pierce, 202-927-1249;
Informal entries--John Considine, 202-927-0042;
Mail entries--Robert Woods, 202-927-1236;
Passenger claims--Wes Windle, 202-927-0167
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 34848]]
Background
Section 501 of the Trade Act of 1974 (the Act), as amended (19
U.S.C. 2461), authorizes the President to establish a Generalized
System of Preferences (GSP) to provide duty-free treatment for eligible
articles imported directly from designated beneficiary countries.
Beneficiary developing countries and articles eligible for duty-free
treatment under the GSP are designated by the President by Presidential
Proclamation in accordance with sections 502(a) and 503(a) of the Act
(19 U.S.C. 2462(a) and 2463(a)). Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 2465, as amended
by section 1011(a) of Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681, duty-free
treatment under the GSP is presently scheduled to expire on June 30,
1999.
Congress is currently considering whether to extend the GSP
program. If Congress does not pass legislation renewing the GSP before
midnight, June 30, 1999, no claims for duty-free treatment under the
program will be processed by Customs on entries made after that time.
If legislation renewing the GSP is enacted after the GSP expires,
language may be included that would make the GSP effective back to the
date of its present expiration.
Recognizing the effect that renewing GSP duty treatment with
retroactive effect has on both importers, who must request refunds of
duties deposited, and Customs, which must liquidate or reliquidate
eligible entries, Customs developed a mechanism to facilitate certain
refunds. Set forth below is Customs plan that will be implemented on
July 1, 1999, if the GSP has not been extended by that date.
Formal Entries
Claims--Duties Must Be Deposited
Although Customs will accept claims for GSP duty-free treatment, as
specified below, Customs will not process the claim as duty free under
the GSP for merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for
consumption on or after July 1, 1999. Further, duties at the normal-
trade-relations rate must be deposited, unless an alternate claim is
made under another preferential program for which the merchandise
qualifies (for example, the Andean Trade Preference Act or the
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act).
On or after July 1, 1999, for all merchandise that would qualify
for the GSP were the GSP still in effect, Automated Broker Interface
(ABI) filers must deposit duties at the normal-trade-relations rate
with their entry summaries, but may continue to claim GSP duty-free
treatment by using the Special Program Indicator (SPI) ``A'' as a
prefix to the tariff number. Customs Automated Commercial System (ACS)
will accept the SPI ``A'' transmission with the payment of duty. If the
GSP is renewed with retroactive effect, the duties deposited will be
refunded by Customs without further action by the ABI filer. In effect,
use of the SPI ``A'' will constitute an ABI filer's request for a
refund of duties paid for GSP line items if GSP is renewed with
retroactive effect. It is noted that for ABI filers to take advantage
of this system for receiving an automatic refund if GSP is renewed
retroactively, the filers will have to reprogram their software to
allow for the submission of estimated duties with the SPI ``A''
designation on entries. ABI filers who do not wish to reprogram their
software will be required to request refunds in writing to the
appropriate port director identifying the affected entry numbers if the
GSP is renewed with retroactive effect.
While reprogramming is strictly voluntary, continued use of the SPI
``A'' has some benefits: one already mentioned is that the filer will
not have to request a refund of deposited duties in writing should the
GSP be renewed with retroactive effect; another is that ACS will
perform its usual edits on the information transmitted by the filer,
thereby ensuring that GSP claims are for acceptable country/tariff
combinations and eliminating the need for statistical corrections.
Importers may not use the SPI ``A'' if they intend to later claim
drawback, because claiming both the refund of duties deposited and
drawback would be to request a refund in excess of duties actually
deposited. Importers who are unsure as to whether they will claim
drawback are advised not to use the SPI ``A''. If the GSP is renewed
with retroactive effect, and the importer has not claimed drawback or
enabled another person to claim drawback, then the importer may request
a refund of duties deposited by writing to the port director at the
port of entry. Also, importers may not use the SPI ``A'' if they have
made an alternative duty-free treatment claim to GSP (for example, the
Andean Trade Preference Act or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery
Act).
Refunds
1. Automatic
If an ABI entry summary was filed with the SPI ``A'', should the
GSP be renewed with retroactive effect, then Customs will liquidate or
reliquidate all affected ABI entry summaries with a refund for the GSP
line items with no further action needed to be taken by the filer to
request a refund.
2. Need for Written Request
If an ABI entry summary was filed without the SPI ``A'', then the
request for a refund must be in writing. Further, all non-ABI filers
must request refunds in writing. Instructions on how to request a
refund in writing will be issued if the GSP is renewed with retroactive
effect.
Informal Entries
Refunds on informal entries filed through the ABI with the SPI
``A'' designation will be processed in accordance with the automatic
refund procedure outlined above.
Baggage Declarations and Non-ABI Informals
When merchandise is presented for clearance, travelers and
importers will be advised verbally that they may be eligible for a
refund of GSP duties. Travelers/importers desiring such refund should
request the Customs Officer to annotate the receipt of payment to
indicate that the merchandise would be eligible for GSP duty-free
treatment. Then, should the GSP be renewed with retroactive effect, the
traveler/importer must request the GSP duty refund in a letter that
includes the copy of the receipt of payment and submit the request to
the appropriate Customs port of entry.
Mail Entries
Should the GSP be renewed with retroactive effect, those addressees
who received GSP eligible merchandise (identified on the CF 3419A,
(Mail Entry)) may be eligible for a refund of GSP duties and should
submit a separate written claim for a refund. The request for the
refund and a copy of the CF 3419A should be submitted to the
appropriate International Mail Branch identified at the bottom right-
hand corner of the CF 3419A. (The copy of the CF 3419A must be included
with the request, as the information contained on the form will be the
only record of the GSP merchandise entered and whether the duties and
fees were paid).
Dated: June 24, 1999.
Robert J. McNamara,
Acting Assistant Commissioner Field Operations.
[FR Doc. 99-16480 Filed 6-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P
