• To : Automated Broker Interface
Subject: EXPIRATION OF THE GSP-1999
TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.                                                     

FROM : JOHN ZZ-PIERCE                                                     

SUBJECT : EXPIRATION OF THE GSP-1999                                      

DATE : 06/28/1999                                                         


                              9179071                                     

                           JUNE 28, 1999                                  


                                         FO:TP:TA  JAP                    


 CATEGORY: GSP                                                            

 TO      : ALL DIRECTORS FIELD OPERATIONS AND PORT DIRECTORS              

 FROM    : DIRECTOR, TRADE PROGRAMS                                       

 SUBJECT : SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF              
           PREFERENCES (GSP) ON JUNE 30, 1999                             

 PASS TO:  IMPORT AND ENTRY SPECIALISTS, INSPECTORS, BROKERS,             
           IMPORTERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES                         

 BACKGROUND:                                                              

 THE GSP IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT ON JUNE 30,         
 1999, UNLESS ITS PROVISIONS ARE EXTENDED BY CONGRESS.  CLAIMS FOR        
 TREATMENT UNDER THE GSP MAY BE MADE, AS SPECIFIED IN THE                 
 INSTRUCTIONS BELOW, FOR MERCHANDISE ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM            
 WAREHOUSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 1999.  HOWEVER,            
 CUSTOMS WILL NOT PROCESS THE CLAIMS AS DUTY-FREE UNDER THE GSP ON        
 OR AFTER JULY 1, 1999, IF THE PROGRAM IS NOT EXTENDED BEFORE THAT        
 DATE.                                                                    

 NOTE:  IF THE PROGRAM IS EXTENDED BY CONGRESS PRIOR TO JUNE 30,          
 1999, NOTICE WILL BE PROVIDED VIA THE CUSTOMS ELECTRONIC BULLETIN        
 BOARD (CEBB), BULLETIN BOARD OTO5, AND  AN ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE        
 TO ABI FILERS.                                                           

 CUSTOMS HEADQUARTERS WILL USE THE SAME MECHANISM TO FACILITATE           
 REFUNDS THAT IT HAS UTILIZED IN THE PAST WHEN THE GSP EXPIRED.           
 UNDER THIS PLAN, FILERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE USING THE            
 SPECIAL PROGRAM INDICATOR (SPI) "A"  FOR ENTRY SUMMARIES FILED ON        
 OR AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE.  REFUNDS WILL ONLY BE ISSUED, IF           
 THE GSP IS RENEWED WITH RETROACTIVE EFFECT, FOR THOSE ELIGIBLE           
 GOODS ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE FOR CONSUMPTION DURING         
 THE PERIOD THE GSP WAS LAPSED THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR DUTY-FREE           
 TREATMENT UNDER THE PROGRAM PROVISIONS PRIOR TO ITS EXPIRATION.          


 ACTION:                                                                  

 1.   IF THE GSP IS NOT EXTENDED BY LEGISLATIVE ACTION PRIOR TO           
      JUNE 30, 1999, AS OF   JULY 1, 1999, CUSTOMS WILL CONTINUE          
      TO ACCEPT CLAIMS MADE UNDER THE GSP FOR MERCHANDISE ENTERED         
      OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE FOR CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER JULY        
      1, 1999, HOWEVER, CUSTOMS WILL NOT PROCESS THESE CLAIMS AS          
      DUTY-FREE UNDER THE GSP ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 1999.  DUTIES           
      AT THE NORMAL-TRADE-RELATIONS (NTR) RATE MUST BE DEPOSITED,         
      OR A CLAIM MAY BE MADE UNDER ANOTHER PREFERENTIAL TRADE             
      PROGRAM FOR WHICH THE MERCHANDISE QUALIFIES (FOR EXAMPLE,           
      THE ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCE ACT, THE CARIBBEAN BASIN                
      ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT).                                             

 2.   IMPORTERS ARE TO BE REMINDED THAT THE TIME OF ENTRY IS              
      DEFINED DIFFERENTLY FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF ENTRIES (SEE 19            
      C.F.R. 141.68-69) AND ARE CAUTIONED TO BE PARTICULARLY              
      MINDFUL OF THE KIND OF ENTRY THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO AVAIL          
      THEMSELVES OF THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS DUTY RATE.                      

 3.   WHILE ESTIMATED DUTIES MUST BE DEPOSITED, ALL FILERS WHO            
      FILE ENTRY SUMMARIES THROUGH THE AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE         
      (ABI) MAY CONTINUE TO FILE USING THE SPI "A" AS A PREFIX TO         
      THE TARIFF NUMBER FOR ALL ENTRIES THAT WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED         
      FOR THE GSP IF THE GSP WERE STILL IN EFFECT.  THOSE ABI             
      FILERS WHO WISH TO CONTINUE USING THE SPI "A" WILL HAVE TO          
      REPROGRAM THEIR SOFTWARE TO ALLOW THE TRANSMISSION OF AN            
      ENTRY FOR WHICH THEY ARE CLAIMING PREFERENTIAL TARIFF               
      TREATMENT UNDER THE GSP ALONG WITH THE PAYMENT OF ESTIMATED         
      DUTIES.  CUSTOMS AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL SYSTEM (ACS) WILL BE          
      REPROGRAMMED TO ACCEPT THE SPI "A" WITH THE PAYMENT OF DUTY.        
      ALTHOUGH THE REPROGRAMMING BY IMPORTERS IS TO BE STRICTLY           
      VOLUNTARY, IF THE FILER ELECTS TO DO SO THERE ARE SOME              
      BENEFITS.  ONE BENEFIT OF REPROGRAMMING IS THAT THE ABI             
      FILER WILL NOT HAVE TO REQUEST IN WRITING A REFUND OF DUTIES        
      DEPOSITED SHOULD THE GSP BE RENEWED WITH RETROACTIVE EFFECT.        
      CUSTOMS WILL AUTOMATICALLY REFUND DUTIES DEPOSITED TO THOSE         
      ABI FILERS.  ALSO, ACS WILL PERFORM ITS USUAL EDITS ON THE          
      INFORMATION TRANSMITTED BY THE ABI FILER, ENSURING THAT GSP         
      CLAIMS ARE FOR ACCEPTABLE COUNTRY/TARIFF COMBINATIONS               
      THEREBY ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR STATISTICAL CORRECTIONS.           

 4.   ABI FILERS WHO DO NOT WISH TO REPROGRAM, THOSE WHO DO NOT           
      USE THE SPI "A" AND ALL NON-ABI FILERS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO         
      REQUEST, IN WRITING, A REFUND OF DUTIES DEPOSITED TO THE            
      APPROPRIATE PORT OF ENTRY, IF THE GSP IS RENEWED                    
      RETROACTIVELY.                                                      

 5.   IMPORTERS ARE TO BE ADVISED THAT THEY 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 APPROPRIATE        
      PORT OF ENTRY.                                                      

 6.   REFUNDS ON INFORMAL ENTRIES FILED VIA ABI WITH THE SPI "A"          
      WILL BE PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED        
      ABOVE.                                                              

      7.WHEN MERCHANDISE IS PRESENTED FOR CLEARANCE ON A BAGGAGE          
      DECLARATION OR NON-ABI INFORMAL, TRAVELERS AND IMPORTERS            
      WILL BE ADVISED VERBALLY THAT THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A            
      REFUND OF GSP DUTIES.  TRAVELERS/IMPORTERS DESIRING A REFUND        
      SHOULD REQUEST THE CUSTOMS OFFICER TO ANNOTATE THE RECEIPT OF       
      PAYMENT TO INDICATE THAT THE MERCHANDISE MAY 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 WRITING TO THE PORT DIRECTOR AT THE          
      APPROPRIATE CUSTOMS PORT OF ENTRY.  THE WRITTEN REQUEST FOR         
      REFUND OF DUTIES DEPOSITED MUST INCLUDE A COPY OF THE               
      RECEIPT OF PAYMENT.                                                 

 8.   FOR MAIL ENTRIES, SHOULD THE GSP BE RENEWED WITH RETROACTIVE        
      EFFECT, THE ADDRESSEE ON THE CF 3419A (MAIL ENTRY) MAY              
      SUBMIT A WRITTEN CLAIM REQUESTING A REFUND OF GSP DUTIES.           
      THE CLAIM FOR REFUND MUST BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH A COPY OF         
      THE CF 3419A TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERNATIONAL MAIL BRANCH           
      (ADDRESS LISTED ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE CF           
      3419A).  IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A COPY OF THE CF 3419A BE             
      INCLUDED WITH THE REQUEST, AS THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON          
      THE FORM WILL BE THE ONLY RECORD OF THE GSP MERCHANDISE             
      ENTERED AND PROOF OF PAYMENT OF DUTIES.                             

 9.   INQUIRES RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO RENEW THE GSP           
      SHOULD NOT BE DIRECTED TO CUSTOMS.  PUBLIC INQUIRIES                
      REGARDING LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO RENEW THE GSP MAY BE                
      DIRECTED TO:                                                        

      HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE           202-225-6649               
      SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                 202-224-4515               

 FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL              
 SYSTEM CONTACT JAMES HALPIN, OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,           
 703-921-7128.  QUESTIONS REGARDING TYPES OF ENTRIES AND THEIR            
 CORRESPONDING TIMES OF ENTRY SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE ENTRY             
 BRANCH AT 202-927-0380.  FOR GENERAL OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS,              
 CONTACT:                                                                 

      FORMAL ENTRIES ......... JOHN PIERCE     202-927-1249               
      INFORMAL ENTRIES ....... JOHN CONSIDINE  202-927-1167               
      MAIL ENTRIES ........... ROBERT WOODS    202-927-0542               
      PASSENGER CLAIMS ....... WES WINDLE      202-927-0167               




                               ELIZABETH G. DURANT                        

 CC:  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIELD OPERATIONS                                
      ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIELD PROGRAMS