CBP outlined the agency's plans for refunding duties on entries eligible for Generalized System of Preferences treatment collected during the program's lapse. The agency answered some Frequently Asked Questions (here) and provided detailed information on the refund process (here). While some information on the GSP refund processing was previously released (see 1507200020), the agency hadn't released official guidance on the GSP renewal. The GSP reauthorization allows for retroactive benefits to be applied to eligible goods entered after July 31, 2013 through July 28.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative launched an out-of-cycle review on South African eligibility in the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The agency is asking for stakeholder comments. A USTR subcommittee will convene a hearing on South African beneficiary status on Aug. 7, and those that want to attend the hearing must contact USTR by Aug. 5. All pre-hearing briefs, statements or comments are also due on that date. The deadline for post-hearing materials is Aug. 12.
CBP will require that importers provide enough information to prove eligibility of some retroactive Generalized System of Preference (GSP) claims, said an agency spokeswoman. President Obama signed a renewal of GSP last month (see 1506290045) and the agency is in the process of developing a guidance for the industry (see 1507100012). "CBP is working on information and guidance to the importing community, which will be issued in the near future regarding the recent renewal of the GSP program by Congress," she said.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the July 16 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by July 30 (here) in connection with a review of Generalized System of Preferences announced by the U.S. Trade Representative on July 6 (see 1507060025). The commission is required to submit a report to USTR by Aug. 28 on the likely impact of competitive need limitation waivers for two products from Thailand that are set to lose eligibility unless the waivers are granted. The ITC will also report on the potential addition to GSP of five HTS subheadings for least-developed beneficiaries.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of July 6-12:.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 6 - 10 in case they were missed.
CBP will automatically process refunds for Generalized System of Preference claims that were submitted after the program expired in 2013 (see 13080110), said Dan Anthony, executive director of the Coalition for GSP in a July 10 interview. Refund requests for entries that did not claim GSP eligibility during the lapse are due by Dec. 28 and will be processed as they are received, he said. Signed into law on June 29 (see 1506290045), the program is set to restart on July 29. CBP plans to issue formal guidance on GSP refund processing, so the details could still change, he said.
The House is set to vote in the coming days to put in motion a conference on Customs Reauthorization legislation in order to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, said lobbyists in recent interviews. The verdict is still out on a range of policies that will directly impact compliance professionals and the broader trade community. Legislative conference is a notoriously secretive process, but lawmakers are expected to hammer out compromises on some major issues, including CBP evasion prevention and enforcement and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill process reforms.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for June 29 - July 2 in case they were missed.