CSMS Message: 99-000396

TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.

FROM : DON LUTHER

SUBJECT : RECONCILIATION REMINDER

DATE : 05/21/1999

ACS RECONCILIATION PROTOTYPE

REMINDER ON REQUIREMENTS OF LATE STARTS POLICY

ON APRIL 16, 1998, THE OFFICE OF TRADE PROGRAMS ISSUED A MESSAGE
ADDRESSING IMPORTERS WHO STARTED LATE IN THE PROTOTOYPE FOR
VARIOUS REASONS. THE SOLUTION PROVIDED FOR BY THAT MEMO IS AN
EXTENSION OF THE "GRANDFATHER CLAUSE" ALLOWANCE OF
PRE-RECONCILIATION METHODS FOR IMPORTERS WHO STARTED
PARTICIPATING IN THE PROTOTYPE BY MAY 14, 1999.

THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT IMPORTERS WISHING TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE GRANDFATHER CLAUSE EXTENSION MUST NOTIFY THE
RECONCILIATION TEAM AT CUSTOMS HEADQUARTERS BY JUNE 1, 1999, AND
PROVIDE THE IMPORTER OF RECORD NUMBER, AND THE RANGE OF DATES
FROM WHEN THE FIRST ENTRY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLAGGED UNTIL THE
FIRST ENTRY WAS FLAGGED. AGAIN, THE EXTENSION OF THE GRANDFATHER
CLAUSE PERIOD APPLIES ONLY TO IMPORTERS WHO HAD APPLIED, WITH A
BOND RIDER, BY MAY 14TH.

ENTRIES FILED BETWEEN THOSE DATES MAY BE ADJUSTED USING METHODS
THAT WERE IN USE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE PROTOTYPE, SUCH AS
CF247 COST SUBMISSIONS, QUARTERLY ASSIST REPORTS, AND THE LIKE.

CUSTOMS PORTS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO STRICTLY APPLY THE "EXCLUSIVE
MEANS" POLICY FOR IMPORTERS NOT ON THE LIST OF GRANDFATHER
CLAUSE-APPROVED IMPORTERS COMPILED FROM THE RESPONSES RECEIVED
JUNE 1, 1999.

THE LATE STARTS POLICY DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR THE MISSED ENTRIES
BE COVERED BY A RECONCILIATION ENTRY. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY THE
GOAL, BUT WAS DETERMINED TO BE UNWORKABLE AT THIS TIME.

IMPORTERS WISHING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTENSION MUST PROVIDE
THEIR IMPORTER OF RECORD NUMBER AND RANGE OF DATES BY JUNE 1,
1999, BY MAIL, OR BY FAX (202) 927-1096 OR VIA EMAIL
DON.P.LUTHER@CUSTOMS.TREAS.GOV, WITH THE SUBJECT OF MESSAGE
STARTING WITH "GREXT". ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS MESSAGEOR ON
RECONCILIATION IN GENERAL MAY BE ADDRESSED TO SHARI MCCANN
(202) 927-1106 OR DON LUTHER AT (202) 927-0915.

(OR VISIT WWW.CUSTOMS.GOV/RECON)