CSMS Message: 00-001470

TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.

FROM : SUSAN S THOMAS

SUBJECT : CBTPA ENTRY PROCESS INSTRUCT

DATE : 12/01/2000

BOARD: OTO2
POSTED BY: HQ QUOTA
RETENTION: 999

1322092
NOVEMBER 29, 2000

CATEGORY: QUO

TO: DIRECTORS, FIELD OPERATIONS
PORT DIRECTORS

FROM: DIRECTOR, TRADE PROGRAMS

SUBJECT: QBT-2000-21 \ TBT-00-028: CARIBBEAN BASIN TRADE
PARTNERSHIP ACT (CBTPA) PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS
FOR TEXTILES FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DO),
COSTA RICA (CR), EL SALVADOR (SV), GUATEMALA (GT),
HAITI (HT), PANAMA (PA) AND JAMAICA (JM) FOR WHICH
QUOTA \VISA REQUIREMENTS ARE EXEMPTED

PASS TO: ASSISTANT PORT DIRECTORS, NATIONAL IMPORT SPECIALISTS
IMPORT SPECIALISTS, INSPECTORS, ENTRY SUPERVISORS AND
SPECIALISTS, BROKERS AND IMPORTERS

BACKGROUND:

TO CLAIM BENEFITS FOR GOODS QUALIFYING FOR PREFERENTIAL TARIFF
TREATMENT UNDER THE CBTPA A NON-ABI ENTRY MUST BE MADE WHEN DO,
CR, SV, GT, HT, PA AND JM ARE CLAIMED AS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. THE
CUSTOMS SERVICE IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING PROGRAMMING FOR
AUTOMATED FILING THROUGH AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE (ABI) AND
WILL INFORM THE TRADE WHEN THIS OCCURS.

ACTION:

THE PROCEDURES FOR CLAIMING BENEFITS UNTIL ABI PROGRAMMING IS
COMPLETED TO ALLOW THE ELECTRONIC FILING OF CLAIMS FOR CBTPA
TEXTILE PREFERENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A NON-ABI ENTRY MUST BE FILED FOR ALL LINES TO CLAIM CBTPA
BENEFITS (ENTRY TYPE 01) IF ALL LINES ARE CBTPA ELIGIBLE.

2. IF THERE IS CBTPA MERCHANDISE MIXED WITH MERCHANDISE SUBJECT
TO QUOTA\VISA REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE IT IS NOT CBTPA ELIGIBLE,
THEN THE FOLLOWING TWO ALTERNATIVES CAN BE USED:

A. FOR TEXTILE AND APPAREL MERCHANDISE (EXCEPT FOR T-SHIRTS
ENTERED UNDER HTS NUMBER 9820.11.12), AN ABI WAREHOUSE ENTRY
(ENTRY TYPE 21) CAN BE FILED. THE FILERS MUST SEPARATE THE
CBTPA MERCHANDISE FROM THE ARTICLES SUBJECT TO QUOTA\VISA
REQUIREMENTS AND FILE A NON-ABI SIMULTANEOUS WITHDRAWAL
(ENTRY TYPE 31) FOR MERCHANDISE ELIGIBLE FOR CBTPA CLAIM. AN
ABI WITHDRAWAL (ENTRY TYPE 32) MUST BE FILED FOR THE
1 MERCHANDISE SUBJECT TO QUOTA\VISA REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSED
THROUGH QUOTA (QSUP).

B. FOR T-SHIRTS ENTERED UNDER HTS NUMBER 9820.11.12, THE FILER
MUST FILE AN ABI WITHDRAWAL (ENTRY TYPE 32) AND REPORT TO
QUOTA.

3. AS AN ALTERNATIVE, FILERS CAN EXTRACT INFORMATION OFF THE
INVOICE AND MAKE TWO ENTRIES WHEN A SHIPMENT CONTAINS
MERCHANDISE IN WHICH A CBTPA CLAIM WILL BE MADE AND
MERCHANDISE THAT IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CBTPA. AN ABI 02 ENTRY
MUST BE MADE FOR MERCHANDISE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CBTPA AND
PROCESSED THROUGH QUOTA. A NON-ABI ENTRY TYPE 01 MAY BE MADE
FOR THAT MERCHANDISE FOR WHICH A CBTPA CLAIM IS BEING MADE.

PORTS ARE REQUIRED TO:

1. INPUT HEADER INFORMATION ONLY FOR NON-ABI ENTRY TYPES 01 AND 31.

2. INPUT ALL QUOTA LINES THROUGH QSUP FOR ABI AND NON-ABI.

NOTE: INPUT OF LINES CONTAINING CBTPA QUALIFYING QUOTA
FREE\DUTY FREE TEXTILES THROUGH THE QUOTA MODULE WILL CAUSE ACS
TO ASK FOR A VISA NUMBER. THE INPUT OF A REAL OR DUMMY VISA
NUMBER WILL CAUSE THE TEXTILES TO CHARGE TO THE APPLICABLE
BILATERAL QUOTAS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMITTEE FOR
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS (CITA).

A SEPARATE QBT WILL BE ISSUED FOR CBTPA TEXTILES QUALIFYING AND
CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTS NUMBER 9820.11.09. SUBSEQUENT
NOTIFICATIONS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED FOR ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS
TO QUALIFYING COUNTRIES, REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS, OR
REQUIREMENTS.

FILERS SHOULD EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE AND HAVE SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE THE CLAIMS THAT ARE MADE
WHEN THAT DOCUMENTATION IS REQUESTED.

QUESTIONS FROM THE IMPORTING COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS ELECTRONIC
MESSAGE SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL CUSTOMS PORT. THE
CUSTOMS PORT OF ENTRY MAY REFER QUESTIONS THROUGH CC: MAIL TO HQ
QUOTA, OR CONTACT JOHN PIERCE AT (202) 927-5396. QUESTIONS
REGARDING TEXTILE POLICY MAY BE REFERRED TO ROBERT ABELS AT
202-927-1959. QUESTIONS REGARDING ENTRY POLICY MAY BE REFERRED
TO THE ENTRY AND DRAWBACK MANAGEMENT BRANCH AT 202-927-0300.

\S\

ELIZABETH G DURANT

CC: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIELD OPERATIONS