| Title: | RENEWAL OF THE GSP |
|---|---|
| Date: | 1997-08-06 |
| To: | abi |
| Links: | previous, next |
TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.
FROM : JOHN ZZ-PIERCE
SUBJECT : RENEWAL OF THE GSP
DATE : 08/06/97
7218071
AUGUST 6, 1997
FO:TA JAP
CATEGORY: GSP
TO : PORT AND CMC DIRECTORS, IMPORT SPECIALISTS, ENTRY
SPECIALISTS, INSPECTORS, AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
SUCH AS BROKERS AND IMPORTERS
FROM : DIRECTOR, TRADE AGREEMENTS
SUBJECT: GSP RENEWAL
EFFECTIVE AUGUST 5, 1997, SECTION 505(A) OF THE TRADE ACT OF 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2465) IS AMENDED BY STRIKING "MAY 31, 1997" AND
INSERTING "JUNE 30, 1998". ACCORDINGLY, GOODS ENENTERED ON OR
AFTER AUGUST 5, 1997, ARE ENTITLED TO BE ENTERED DUTY-FREE,
PROVIDED THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GSP. REPROGRAMMING OF
THE CUSTOMS' AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL SYSTEM (ACS) TO ACCEPT DUTY-
FREE ENTRY SUMMARIES USING THE SPECIAL PROGRAM INDICATOR (SPI) "A"
HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
ON AUGUST 5, 1997, PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNED INTO LAW THE BUDGET
RECONCILIATION TAX BILL OF 1997. SECTION 981 OF TITLE I,
SUBTITLE H--EXTENSION OF DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER GENERALIZED
SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES, PROVIDES FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES (GSP) THROUGH JUNE 30, 1998,
AS WELL AS FOR THE REFUND OF ALL DUTIES PAID ON GSP-ELIGIBLE
MERCHANDISE THAT WAS ENTERED WHILE THE PROGRAM WAS LAPSED.
THE ENTRY OF ANY ARTICLE TO WHICH DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER TITLE
V OF THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 WOULD HAVE APPLIED IF THE ENTRY HAD
BEEN MADE ON MAY 31, 1997, AND THAT WAS MADE AFTER MAY 31, 1997,
AND BEFORE THE DATE OF THE ENACTMENT OF THIS ACT, SHALL BE
LIQUIDATED OR RELIQUIDATED AS FREE OF DUTY, AND CUSTOMS SHALL
REFUND ANY DUTY PAID WITH RESPECT TO SUCH ENTRY.
ACTION:
1. EFFECTIVE AUGUST 5, 1997, THE AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE
SUBTITLE APPLY TO ARTICLES ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM
WAREHOUSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER AUGUST 5, 1997.
2. THE DUTY RATE OF "FREE", APPLICABLE TO MERCHANDISE
QUALIFYING FOR GSP, SHALL BE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 5, 1997.
FILERS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO FILE GSP ELIGIBLE ENTRY
SUMMARIES WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF DUTY FOR SHIPMENTS
ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON
OR AFTER AUGUST 5, 1997.
3. CUSTOMS WILL BEGIN PROCESSING REFUNDS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 29,
1997, AND EXPECTS THE PROCESSING TO TAKE FROM FOUR TO EIGHT
WEEKS FOR ABI ENTRIES.
4. THE FOLLOWING IRS INTEREST RATES WILL BE USED IN CALCULATING
INTEREST ON REFUNDS OF CUSTOMS DUTIES:
JUNE 1, 1997 - JUNE 30, 1997 ........ 8
JULY 1, 1997 - JULY 31, 1997 ........ 8
AUGUST 1, 1997 - AUGUST 4, 1997 ..... 8
5. INTEREST SHALL BE PAID ON ALL REFUNDS FROM THE DATE THE
DUTIES WERE DEPOSITED.
6. FORMAL ENTRY REFUNDS
FILERS WHO USED THE SPECIAL PROGRAM INDICATOR (SPI) "A" ON
ENTRY SUMMARIES FILED THROUGH THE AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE
(ABI) NEED TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION AT THIS TIME. CUSTOMS
HEADQUARTERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BEGIN PROCESSING REFUNDS FOR
ENTRY SUMMARIES LIQUIDATED AS "NO CHANGE" ON AUGUST 29,
1997.
GSP REFUNDS FOR ALL OTHER ENTRY SUMMARIES (E.G., WAREHOUSE
WITHDRAWALS, "CHANGE" LIQUIDATIONS, RELIQUIDATIONS,
SUSPENDED ENTRY SUMMARIES) WILL BE PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH NORMAL LIQUIDATION PROCEDURES.
NON-ABI FILERS WHO DID OR DID NOT USE THE SPI "A" MUST
REQUEST A REFUND IN WRITING FROM THE PORT DIRECTOR AT THE
PORT OF ENTRY BY JANUARY 31, 1998 (180 DAYS AFTER THE DATE
OF ENACTMENT OF THIS ACT). A SEPARATE LETTER MAY BE
PREPARED FOR EACH ENTRY SUMMARY, EACH IMPORTER, OR MAY COVER
ALL ENTRY SUMMARIES FILED BY AN INDIVIDUAL FILER AT A SINGLE
PORT. TO EXPEDITE REFUNDS, CUSTOMS RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING
BE INCLUDED IN EACH LETTER:
A. A STATEMENT THAT THE LETTER IS A REQUEST FOR A REFUND
AS PROVIDED UNDER THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION TAX BILL
OF 1997, TITLE I, SUBTITLE H, "EXTENSION OF DUTY-FREE
TREATMENT UNDER GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES,
SECTION 981 GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES, (2)
REQUESTS";
B. THE ENTRY NUMBERS AND LINE ITEMS FOR WHICH REFUNDS ARE
BEING REQUESTED; AND
C. THE AMOUNT TO BE REFUNDED FOR EACH LINE ITEM AND, WHERE
MULTIPLE ENTRIES ARE INVOLVED, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OWED
FOR ALL ENTRY SUMMARIES.
7. INFORMAL ENTRY REFUNDS
REFUNDS ON INFORMAL ENTRIES FILED VIA ABI ON A CUSTOMS FORM
7501 WITH THE SPI "A" WILL BE PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN 6 ABOVE.
8. BAGGAGE DECLARATIONS AND NON-ABI INFORMAL REFUNDS
IF TRAVELERS\IMPORTERS WROTE A STATEMENT DIRECTLY ON THEIR
CUSTOMS DECLARATION (CF 6059B) OR INFORMAL ENTRY (CF 363 OR
CF 7501) INDICATING THEIR DESIRE FOR A REFUND, NO FURTHER
ACTION TO OBTAIN A REFUND WILL BE REQUIRED. IF NO SUCH
STATEMENT WAS MADE TRAVELERS\IMPORTERS MUST MAKE A TIMELY
REQUEST AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IN 6 FOR NON-ABI FILERS.
9. MAIL ENTRY REFUNDS
ADDRESSEES MAY SUBMIT A CLAIM REQUESTING A REFUND OF GSP
DUTIES ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE CF 3419A TO THE APPROPRIATE
INTERNATIONAL MAIL BRANCH (ADDRESS LISTED ON BOTTOM RIGHT
HAND CORNER OF CF 3419A). IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A COPY OF
THE CF 3419A BE INCLUDED AS THIS WILL BE THE ONLY METHOD OF
IDENTIFYING THE ELIGIBLE GSP PRODUCTS AND ENSURING THAT
DUTIES AND FEES HAVE BEEN PAID.
CONTACTS:
FOR GENERAL OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS:
FORMAL ENTRIES.........JOHN PIERCE, 202-927-1249
INFORMAL ENTRIES.......THOMAS WYGANT, 202-927-1167
MAIL ENTRIES...........DAN NORMAN, 202-927-0542
PASSENGER CLAIMS.......ROBERT JACKSTA, 202-927-1311
FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS RELATING TO ABI PROCESSING:
ERIC BLANK, OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY, AT
202-927-0242.
QUESTIONS FROM FILERS REGARDING ABI TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE
DIRECTED TO THEIR ABI CLIENT REPRESENTATIVES. PERSONS WITH OTHER
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE MAY CONTACT JOHN PIERCE, TRADE
AGREEMENT, AT (202)927-1249.
JOYCE METZGER
/S/