| Title: | *URGENT* CHANGE TO "A+" |
|---|---|
| Date: | 1997-06-17 |
| To: | abi |
| Links: | previous, next |
***URGENT CHANGE TO USE OF SPI "A+"***
THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE TO ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE 97-0540 REGARDING
THE "A+" SPECIAL PROGRAM INDICATOR. UPON FURTHER REFLECTION, CUSTOMS
HAS DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE THE USE OF "A+" AND CONTINUE THE USE OF ONLY
THE "A" INDICATOR FOR REGULAR GSP ENTRIES AS WELL AS THOSE FOR THE LEAST-
DEVELOPED BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES(LDDC'S).
THIS CHANGE WILL PREVENT ABI FILERS FROM HAVING TO REPROGRAM THEIR
SYSTEMS TO ALLOW FOR THE "A+" SPI TO BE TRANSMITTED TO CUSTOMS. FOR
ARTICLES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE "A+" PROGRAM, ONLY AN "A", AND NOT AN
"A+", WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE TRANSMITTED TO ALLOW FOR DUTY FREE TREAT-
MENT. THE "A" SPI IS TRANSMITTED IN POSITION 3 OF THE 50 RECORD IN THE
EI APPLICATION. THE LDDC'S ARE IDENTIFIED IN GENERAL NOTE 4(B) OF THE
HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES. IN ACS, THEY ARE
IDENTIFIED AS COLUMN 3 IN THE COUNTRY FILE.
THE ACS TARIFF DATABASE WILL CONTAIN THE "A+" SPI FOR ALL RELEVANT
TARIFF RECORDS, AFTER THE ACS DATABASE UPDATE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THIS
WILL ALLOW ABI FILERS TO IDENTIFY WHICH TARIFF RECORDS ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR THIS PROGRAM.
TARIFF NUMBERS WITH AN "A+" WERE PREVIOUSLY NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DUTY FREE
TREATMENT UNDER THE GSP. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO
THE LDDC'S THAT WERE NOT ORIGINALLY PROVIDED TO THEM BY THE GSP
PROGRAM. MERCHANDISE WILL BE FREE OF DUTY IF THE FILER CLAIMS AN "A",
THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IS A COLUMN 3 COUNTRY(LDDC), AND THE COUNTRY OF
EXPORT IS EITHER THE SAME AS THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR PART OF THE SAME
ASSOCIATION OF COUNTRIES, UNDER THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES.
THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTRIES ARE IDENTIFIED IN GENERAL NOTE 4(A) OF THE
HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES. FURTHER INFORMATION
ABOUT THE A+ PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND IN PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 7007,
PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER DATED JUNE 3, 1997.
YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED BY ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE WHEN PROGRAMMING HAS
BEEN COMPLETED. UNTIL THAT TIME FILERS MUST PAY THE MFN RATE OF DUTY.
IF THE GSP IS RENEWED RETROACTIVELY, FILERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REQUEST
A REFUND OF DUTIES, IN WRITING, FROM THE PORT DIRECTOR AT THE APPROPRI-
ATE PORT OF ENTRY FOR ALL ENTRY SUMMARIES WHICH WERE FILED PRIOR TO THE
COMPLETION OF PROGRAMMING. HOWEVER, THE USE OF THE "A" INDICATOR FOR
"A+" ELIGIBLE ARTICLES, AFTER SYSTEM PROGRAMMING IS COMPLETED, WILL
AFFORD ABI FILERS THE BENEFIT OF NOT HAVING TO REQUEST A REFUND, IN
WRITING, FROM THE PORT DIRECTOR AT THE APPROPRIATE PORT OF ENTRY,
PROVIDED THE GSP IS RENEWED WITH RETROACTIVE EFFECT.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED. QUESTIONS
REGARDING THIS MESSAGE MAY BE DIRECTED TO EITHER ERIC BLANK AT
(202) 927-0441 OR YOUR CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE
GSP PROGRAM MAY BE DIRECTED TO JOHN PIERCE AT (202) 927-1249.
CSMS #97-000600