Title 19—Customs Duties--Volume 1
PART 10—ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC.
§ 10.227   Verification and justification of claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Verification by Customs. A claim for preferential treatment made under § 10.225, including any statements or other information contained on a Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under § 10.226, will be subject to whatever verification the Center director deems necessary. In the event that the Center director for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential treatment may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(1) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to Customs by the importer or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(2) Documentation and other information regarding the country of origin of an article and its constituent materials, including, but not limited to, production records, information relating to the place of production, the number and identification of the types of machinery used in production, and the number of workers employed in production; and
(3) Evidence to document the use of U.S. materials in the production of the article in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents.
(b) Importer requirements. In order to make a claim for preferential treatment under § 10.225, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the textile or apparel article qualifies for preferential treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential treatment because it is specifically described in one of the provisions under § 10.223(a). If the importer is claiming that the article incorporates fabric or yarn that was wholly formed in the United States, the importer must have records that identify the U.S. producer of the fabric or yarn. A properly completed Certificate of Origin in the form set forth in § 10.224(b) is a record that would serve these purposes;
(2) Must establish and implement internal controls which provide for the periodic review of the accuracy of the Certificates of Origin or other records referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section;
(3) Must have shipping papers that show how the article moved from the CBTPA beneficiary country to the United States. If the imported article was shipped through a country other than a CBTPA beneficiary country and the invoices and other documents from the CBTPA beneficiary country do not show the United States as the final destination, the importer also must have documentation that demonstrates that the conditions set forth in § 10.223(d)(3)(i) through (iii) were met; and
(4) Must be prepared to explain, upon request from Customs, how the records and internal controls referred to in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section justify the importer's claim for preferential treatment.
§ 10.228   Additional requirements for preferential treatment of brassieres.
(a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(1) Producer. “Producer” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that exercises direct, daily operational control over the production process in a CBTPA beneficiary country.
(2) Entity controlling production. “Entity controlling production” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that is not a producer and that controls the production process in a CBTPA beneficiary country through a contractual relationship or other indirect means.
(3) Fabrics formed in the United States. “Fabrics formed in the United States” means fabrics that were produced by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other fabric-making process performed in the United States.
(4) Cost. “Cost” when used with reference to fabrics formed in the United States means:
(i) The price of the fabrics when last purchased, f.o.b. port of exportation, as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(A) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price; or
(B) If no exportation to a CBTPA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabrics to the place of production if included in that price; or
(ii) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section or if CBP finds that price to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture, or other processing of the fabrics, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in forming the fabrics) and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabrics to the port of exportation.
(5) Declared customs value. “Declared customs value” when used with reference to fabric contained in an article means the sum of:
(i) The cost of fabrics formed in the United States that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; and
(ii) The cost of all other fabric contained in the article, exclusive of all findings and trimmings, determined as follows:
(A) In the case of fabric purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of the fabric as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
( 1 ) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price; or
( 2 ) If no exportation to a CBTPA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price, but less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric to the place of production if included in that price;
(B) In the case of fabric for which the cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(A) of this section or if CBP finds that cost to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric), general expenses and embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric to the port of exportation;
(C) In the case of fabric components purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of those fabric components as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
( 1 ) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; or
( 2 ) If no exportation to a CBTPA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, and less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric components to the place of production if included in that price; and
(D) In the case of fabric components for which a fabric cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(C) of this section or if CBP finds that cost to be unreasonable: all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components, including the cost or value of materials (which does not include the cost of recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components) and general expenses, but excluding the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and excluding expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric components to the port of exportation.
(6) Year. “Year” means a 12-month period beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30 but does not include any 12-month period that began prior to October 1, 2000.
(7) Entered. “Entered” means entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States.
(b) Limitations on preferential treatment —(1) General. During the year that begins on October 1, 2002, and during any subsequent year, articles of a producer or an entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.223(a)(6) will be eligible for preferential treatment only if:
(i) The aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in § 10.223(a)(6) during the immediately preceding year was at least 75 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in § 10.223(a)(6) during that year; or
(ii) In a case in which the 75 percent requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section was not met during a year and therefore those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production were not eligible for preferential treatment during the following year, the aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.223(a)(6) and that were entered during the immediately preceding year was at least 85 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.223(a)(6) and that were entered during that year; and
(iii) In conjunction with the filing of the claim for preferential treatment under § 10.225, the importer records on the entry summary or warehouse withdrawal for consumption (CBP Form 7501, column 34), or its electronic equivalent, the distinct and unique identifier assigned by CBP to the applicable documentation prescribed under paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Rules of application —(i) General. For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii) of this section and for purposes of preparing and filing the documentation prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, the following rules will apply:
(A) The articles in question must have been produced in the manner specified in § 10.223(a)(6) and the articles in question must be entered within the same year;
(B) Articles that are exported to countries other than the United States and are never entered are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(C) Articles that are entered under an HTSUS subheading other than the HTSUS subheading which pertains to articles described in § 10.223(a)(6) are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section;
(D) For purposes of determining compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, all articles that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.223(a)(6) must be considered, regardless of the HTSUS subheading under which they were entered;
(E) Fabric components and fabrics that constitute findings or trimmings are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(F) Beginning October 1, 2002, in order for articles to be eligible for preferential treatment in a given year, a producer of, or entity controlling production of, those articles must have met the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the immediately preceding year. If articles of a producer or entity controlling production fail to meet the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during a year, articles of that producer or entity controlling production:
( 1 ) Will not be eligible for preferential treatment during the following year;
( 2 ) Will remain ineligible for preferential treatment until the year that follows a year in which articles of that producer or entity controlling production met the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section; and
( 3 ) After the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section has been met, will again be subject to the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the following year for purposes of determining eligibility for preferential treatment in the next year.
(G) A new producer or new entity controlling production, that is, a producer or entity controlling production which did not produce or control production of articles that were entered as articles described in § 10.223(a)(6) during the immediately preceding year, must first establish compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section as a prerequisite to preparation of the declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c) of this section;
(H) A declaration of compliance prepared by a producer or by an entity controlling production must cover all production of that producer or all production that the entity controls for the year in question;
(I) A producer is not required to prepare a declaration of compliance if all of its production is covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(J) In the case of a producer, the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and the declaration of compliance procedure under paragraph (c) of this section apply to all articles of that producer for the year in question, even if some but not all of that production is also covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(K) The U.S. importer does not have to be the producer or the entity controlling production who prepared the declaration of compliance; and
(L) The exclusion references regarding findings and trimmings in paragraph (b)(1)(i) and paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section apply to all findings and trimmings, whether or not they are of foreign origin.
(ii) Examples. The following examples will illustrate application of the principles set forth in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section.
(c) Documentation —(1) Initial declaration of compliance. In order for an importer to comply with the requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, the producer or the entity controlling production must have filed with CBP, in accordance with paragraph (c)(4) of this section, a declaration of compliance with the applicable 75 or 85 percent requirement prescribed in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or (b)(1)(ii) of this section. After filing of the declaration of compliance has been completed, CBP will advise the producer or the entity controlling production of the distinct and unique identifier assigned to that declaration. The producer or the entity controlling production will then be responsible for advising each appropriate U.S. importer of that distinct and unique identifier for purposes of recording that identifier on the entry summary or warehouse withdrawal. In order to provide sufficient time for advising the U.S. importer of that distinct and unique identifier prior to the arrival of the articles in the United States, the producer or the entity controlling production should file the declaration of compliance with CBP at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the first shipment of the articles to the United States.
(2) Amended declaration of compliance. If the information on the declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section is based on an estimate because final year-end information was not available at that time and the final data differs from the estimate, or if the producer or the entity controlling production has reason to believe for any other reason that the declaration of compliance that was filed contained erroneous information, within 30 calendar days after the final year-end information becomes available or within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error:
(i) The producer or the entity controlling production must file with the CBP office identified in paragraph (c)(4) of this section an amended declaration of compliance containing that final year-end information or other corrected information; or
(ii) If that final year-end information or other corrected information demonstrates noncompliance with the applicable 75 or 85 percent requirement, the producer or the entity controlling production must in writing advise both the CBP office identified in paragraph (c)(4) of this section and each appropriate U.S. importer of that fact.
(3) Form and preparation of declaration of compliance —(i) Form. The declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section may be printed and reproduced locally and must be in the following format:
Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act Declaration of Compliance for Brassieres
[19 CFR 10.223(a)(6) and 10.228]
(ii) Preparation. The following rules will apply for purposes of completing the declaration of compliance set forth in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section:
(A) In block 1, fill in the year commencing October 1 and ending September 30 of the calendar year during which the applicable 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section was met;
(B) Block 2 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the preparer and should also include the preparer's importer identification number (see § 24.5 of this chapter), if the preparer has one;
(C) Block 3 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the CBTPA beneficiary country producer if that producer is not already identified in block 2. If there is more than one producer, attach a list stating the legal name and address (including country) of all additional producers;
(D) Blocks 4 and 5 apply only to articles that were entered during the year identified in block 1; and
(E) In block 7, the signature must be that of an authorized officer, employee, agent or other person having knowledge of the relevant facts and the date must be the date on which the declaration of compliance was completed and signed.
(4) Filing of declaration of compliance. The declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section:
(i) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country in which the articles covered by the declaration were produced. If the declaration is completed in a language other than English, the producer or the entity controlling production must provide to CBP upon request a written English translation of the declaration; and
(ii) Must be filed with the New York Strategic Trade Center, Customs and Border Protection, 1 Penn Plaza, New York, New York 10119.
(d) Verification of declaration of compliance —(1) Verification procedure. A declaration of compliance filed under this section will be subject to whatever verification CBP deems necessary. In the event that CBP for any reason is prevented from verifying the statements made on a declaration of compliance, CBP may deny any claim for preferential treatment made under § 10.225 that is based on that declaration. A verification of a declaration of compliance may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(i) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to CBP by the importer, the producer, the entity controlling production, or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(ii) Documentation and other information regarding all articles that meet the production standards specified in § 10.223(a)(6) that were exported to the United States and that were entered during the year in question, whether or not a claim for preferential treatment was made under § 10.225. Those records and other information include, but are not limited to, work orders and other production records, purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents;
(iii) Evidence to document the cost of fabrics formed in the United States that were used in the production of the articles in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents, work orders and other production records, and inventory control records;
(iv) Evidence to document the cost or value of all fabric other than fabrics formed in the United States that were used in the production of the articles in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents, work orders and other production records, and inventory control records; and
(v) Accounting books and documents to verify the records and information referred to in paragraphs (d)(1)(ii) through (d)(1)(iv) of this section. The verification of purchase orders, invoices and bills of lading will be accomplished through the review of a distinct audit trail. The audit trail documents must consist of a cash disbursement or purchase journal or equivalent records to establish the purchase of the fabric. The headings in each of these journals or other records must contain the date, vendor name, and amount paid for the fabric. The verification of production records and work orders will be accomplished through analysis of the inventory records of the producer or entity controlling production. The inventory records must reflect the production of the finished article which must be referenced to the original purchase order or lot number covering the fabric used in production. In the inventory production records, the inventory should show the opening balance of the inventory plus the purchases made during the accounting period and the inventory closing balance.
(2) Notice of determination. If, based on a verification of a declaration of compliance filed under this section, CBP determines that the applicable 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section was not met, CBP will publish a notice of that determination in the Federal Register.
§ 10.231   Applicability.
Title II of Public Law 106-200 (114 Stat. 251), entitled the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), amended section 213(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the CBERA, 19 U.S.C. 2701-2707) to authorize the President to extend additional trade benefits to countries that have been designated as beneficiary countries under the CBERA. Section 213(b)(3) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(3)) provides for special preferential tariff treatment of certain non-textile articles that are otherwise excluded from duty-free treatment under the CBERA. The provisions of §§ 10.231-10.237 of this part set forth the legal requirements and procedures that apply for purposes of obtaining preferential tariff treatment pursuant to CBERA section 213(b)(3).
§ 10.232   Definitions.
When used in §§ 10.231 through 10.237, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
CBERA. “CBERA” means the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, 19 U.S.C. 2701-2707.
CBTPA beneficiary country. “CBTPA beneficiary country” means a “beneficiary country” as defined in § 10.191(b)(1) for purposes of the CBERA which the President also has designated as a beneficiary country for purposes of preferential duty treatment of articles under 19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(3) and which has been the subject of a finding by the President or his designee, published in the Federal Register, that the beneficiary country has satisfied the requirements of 19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(4)(A)(ii).
CBTPA originating good. “CBTPA originating good” means a good that meets the rules of origin for a good as set forth in General Note 12, HTSUS, and in the appendix to part 181 of this chapter and as applied under § 10.233(b).
HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Preferential tariff treatment. “Preferential tariff treatment” when used with reference to an imported article means entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States with duty and other tariff treatment that is identical to the tariff treatment that would be accorded at that time under Annex 2-B of the USMCA to an imported article described in the same 8-digit subheading of the HTSUS that is a good of Mexico.
USMCA. “USMCA” means the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada, entered into force by the United States, Canada and Mexico on July 1, 2020.
§ 10.233   Articles eligible for preferential tariff treatment.
(a) General. The preferential tariff treatment referred to in § 10.231 applies to any of the following articles, provided that the article in question is a CBTPA originating good, is imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from a CBTPA beneficiary country, and is not accorded duty-free treatment under U.S. Note 2(b), Subchapter II, Chapter 98, HTSUS (see § 10.26):
(1) Footwear not designated on August 5, 1983, as eligible articles for the purpose of the Generalized System of Preferences under Title V, Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461 through 2467);
(2) Tuna, prepared or preserved in any manner, in airtight containers;
(3) Petroleum, or any product derived from petroleum, provided for in headings 2709 and 2710 of the HTSUS;
(4) Watches and watch parts (including cases, bracelets, and straps), of whatever type including, but not limited to, mechanical, quartz digital or quartz analog, if those watches or watch parts contain any material which is the product of any country with respect to which HTSUS column 2 rates of duty apply; and
(5) Articles to which reduced rates of duty apply under § 10.198a, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this section.
(b) Application of the USMCA rules of origin. In determining whether an article is a CBTPA originating good for purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, application of the provisions of General Note 11 of the HTSUS, and part 182, appendix A of this chapter, will be subject to the following rules:
(1) No country other than the United States and a CBTPA beneficiary country may be treated as being a party to the USMCA;
(2) Any reference to trade between the United States and Mexico will be deemed to refer to trade between the United States and a CBTPA beneficiary country;
(3) Any reference to a party will be deemed to refer to a CBTPA beneficiary country or the United States; and
(4) Any reference to parties will be deemed to refer to any combination of CBTPA beneficiary countries or to the United States and one or more CBTPA beneficiary countries (or any combination involving the United States and CBTPA beneficiary countries).
(c) Duty reductions for leather-related articles. If, after it is determined that an article described in paragraph (a)(5) of this section qualifies as a CBTPA originating good and is eligible for preferential tariff treatment under this section, it is determined that the article in question also would otherwise qualify for a reduced rate of duty under § 10.198a and that reduced rate of duty is lower than the rate of duty that would apply under this section, that lower rate of duty will apply to the article for purposes of preferential tariff treatment under this section.
(d) Imported directly defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “imported directly” mean:
(1) Direct shipment from any CBTPA beneficiary country to the United States without passing through the territory of any country that is not a CBTPA beneficiary country;
(2) If the shipment is from any CBTPA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not a CBTPA beneficiary country, the articles in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of any country that is not a CBTPA beneficiary country while en route to the United States and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or
(3) If the shipment is from any CBTPA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not a CBTPA beneficiary country, and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the articles in the shipment upon arrival in the United States are imported directly only if they:
(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the intermediate country;
(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of sale other than at retail, and the Center director is satisfied that the importation results from the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and
(iii) Were not subjected to operations other than loading or unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the articles in good condition.
§ 10.234   Certificate of Origin.
A Certificate of Origin as specified in § 10.236 must be employed to certify that an article described in § 10.233(a)(1) through (5) being exported from a CBTPA beneficiary country to the United States qualifies for the preferential tariff treatment referred to in § 10.231. The Certificate of Origin must be prepared by the exporter in the CBTPA beneficiary country. Where the CBTPA beneficiary country exporter is not the producer of the article, that exporter may complete and sign a Certificate of Origin on the basis of:
(a) Its reasonable reliance on the producer's written representation that the article qualifies for preferential tariff treatment; or
(b) A completed and signed Certificate of Origin for the article voluntarily provided to the exporter by the producer.
§ 10.235   Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment.
(a) Declaration. In connection with a claim for preferential tariff treatment for an article described in § 10.233(a)(1) through (5), the importer must make a written declaration that the article qualifies for that treatment. The written declaration should be made by including on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the symbol “R” as a prefix to the subheading of the HTSUS under which the article in question is classified. Except in any of the circumstances described in § 10.236(d)(1), the declaration required under this paragraph must be based on a complete and properly executed original Certificate of Origin that covers the article being imported and that is in the possession of the importer.
(b) Corrected declaration. If, after making the declaration required under paragraph (a) of this section, the importer has reason to believe that a Certificate of Origin on which a declaration was based contains information that is not correct, the importer must within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error make a corrected declaration and pay any duties that may be due. A corrected declaration will be effected by submission of a letter or other written statement to CBP, either at the port of entry or electronically.
§ 10.236   Maintenance of records and submission of Certificate by importer.
(a) Maintenance of records. Each importer claiming preferential tariff treatment for an article under § 10.235 must maintain in the United States, in accordance with the provisions of part 163 of this chapter, all records relating to the importation of the article. Those records must include the original Certificate of Origin referred to in § 10.235(a) and any other relevant documents or other records as specified in § 163.1(a) of this chapter.
(b) Submission of Certificate. An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment on an article under § 10.235(a) must provide, at the request of the Center director, a copy of the Certificate of Origin pertaining to the article. A Certificate of Origin submitted to CBP under this paragraph:
(1) Must be on CBP Form 450, including privately-printed copies of that Form, or, as an alternative to CBP Form 450, in an approved computerized format or other medium or format as is approved by the Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC 20229. An alternative format must contain the same information and certification set forth on CBP Form 450;
(2) Must be signed by the exporter or by the exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(3) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country from which the article is exported. If the Certificate is completed in a language other than English, the importer must provide to Customs upon request a written English translation of the Certificate; and
(4) May be applicable to:
(i) A single importation of an article into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(ii) Multiple importations of identical articles into the United States that occur within a specified period, not to exceed 12 months, set out in the Certificate by the exporter.
(c) Correction and nonacceptance of Certificate. If the Center director determines that a Certificate of Origin is illegible or defective or has not been completed in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, the importer will be given a period of not less than five working days to submit a corrected Certificate. A Certificate will not be accepted in connection with subsequent importations during a period referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section if the Center director determined that a previously imported identical article covered by the Certificate did not qualify for preferential treatment.
(d) Certificate not required —(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, an importer is not required to have a Certificate of Origin in his possession for:
(i) An importation of an article for which the Center director has in writing waived the requirement for a Certificate of Origin because the Center director is otherwise satisfied that the article qualifies for preferential tariff treatment;
(ii) A non-commercial importation of an article; or
(iii) A commercial importation of an article whose value does not exceed US$2,500, provided that, unless waived by the Center director, the producer, exporter, importer or authorized agent includes on, or attaches to, the invoice or other document accompanying the shipment the following signed statement:
I hereby certify that the article covered by this shipment qualifies for preferential tariff treatment under the CBTPA.
Check One:
(2) Exception. If the Center director determines that an importation described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section forms part of a series of importations that may reasonably be considered to have been undertaken or arranged for the purpose of avoiding a Certificate of Origin requirement under §§ 10.234 through 10.236, the Center director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must have in his possession a valid Certificate of Origin to support the claim for preferential tariff treatment. The importer will have 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice to obtain a valid Certificate of Origin, and a failure to timely obtain the Certificate of Origin will result in denial of the claim for preferential tariff treatment. For purposes of this paragraph, a “series of importations” means two or more entries covering articles arriving on the same day from the same exporter and consigned to the same person.
§ 10.237   Verification and justification of claim for preferential tariff treatment.
(a) Verification by Customs. A claim for preferential tariff treatment made under § 10.235, including any statements or other information contained on a Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under § 10.236, will be subject to whatever verification the Center director deems necessary. In the event that the Center director for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential tariff treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential tariff treatment may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(1) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to Customs by the importer or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(2) Documentation and other information in a CBTPA beneficiary country regarding the country of origin of an article and its constituent materials, including, but not limited to, production records, information relating to the place of production, the number and identification of the types of machinery used in production, and the number of workers employed in production; and
(3) Evidence in a CBTPA beneficiary country to document the use of U.S. materials in the production of the article in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents.
(b) Importer requirements. In order to make a claim for preferential tariff treatment under § 10.235, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the article qualifies for preferential tariff treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential tariff treatment because it meets the applicable rule of origin set forth in General Note 11, HTSUS, and in part 182, appendix A of this chapter. A properly completed Certificate of Origin in the form prescribed in § 10.236(b) is a record that would serve this purpose;
§ 10.241   Applicability.
Title XXXI of Public Law 107-210 (116 Stat. 933), entitled the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), amended sections 202, 203, 204, and 208 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (the ATPA, 19 U.S.C. 3201-3206) to authorize the President to extend additional trade benefits to countries that are designated as beneficiary countries under the ATPA. Section 204(b)(3) of the ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(3)) provides for the preferential treatment of certain apparel and other textile articles from those ATPA beneficiary countries which the President designates as ATPDEA beneficiary countries. The provisions of §§ 10.241 through 10.248 of this part set forth the legal requirements and procedures that apply for purposes of obtaining preferential treatment pursuant to ATPA section 204(b)(3) and Subchapter XXI, Chapter 98, HTSUS.
§ 10.242   Definitions.
When used in §§ 10.241 through 10.248, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
Apparel articles. “Apparel articles” means goods classifiable in Chapters 61 and 62 and headings 6501, 6502, 6503, and 6504 and subheadings 6406.99.15 and 6505.90 of the HTSUS.
Assembled or sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries. “Assembled” and “sewn or otherwise assembled” when used in the context of production of an apparel or other textile article in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries has reference to a joining together of two or more components that occurred in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, whether or not a prior joining operation was performed on the article or any of its components in the United States.
ATPA. “ATPA” means the Andean Trade Preference Act, 19 U.S.C. 3201-3206.
ATPDEA beneficiary country. “ATPDEA beneficiary country” means a “beneficiary country” as defined in § 10.202(a) for purposes of the ATPA which the President also has designated as a beneficiary country for purposes of preferential treatment of apparel and other textile articles under 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(3) and which has been the subject of a determination by the President or his designee, published in the Federal Register, that the beneficiary country has satisfied the requirements of 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(5)(A)(ii).
Chief value. “Chief value” when used with reference to llama, alpaca, and vicuña means that the value of those materials exceeds the value of any other single textile material in the fabric or component under consideration, with the value in each case determined by application of the principles set forth in § 10.243(c)(1)(ii).
Cut in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries. “Cut” when used in the context of production of textile luggage in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries means that all fabric components used in the assembly of the article were cut from fabric in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or were cut from fabric in the United States and used in a partial assembly operation in the United States prior to cutting of fabric and assembly of the article in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or both.
Foreign origin. “Foreign origin” means, in the case of a finding or trimming of non-textile materials, that the finding or trimming is a product of a country other than the United States or a ATPDEA beneficiary country and, in the case of a finding, trimming, or interlining of textile materials, that the finding, trimming, or interlining does not meet all of the U.S. and ATPDEA beneficiary country production requirements for yarns, fabrics, and/or components specified under § 10.243(a) for the article in which it is incorporated.
HTSUS. “HTSUS”means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Knit-to-Shape Components. “Knit-to-shape,” when used with reference to textile components, means components that are knitted or crocheted from a yarn directly to a specific shape, that is, the shape or form of the component as it is used in the apparel article, containing at least one self-start edge. Minor cutting or trimming will not affect the determination of whether a component is “knit-to-shape.”
Luggage. “Luggage” means travel goods (such as trunks, hand trunks, lockers, valises, satchels, suitcases, wardrobe cases, overnight bags, pullman bags, gladstone bags, traveling bags, knapsacks, kitbags, haversacks, duffle bags, and like articles designed to contain clothing or other personal effects during travel) and brief cases, portfolios, school bags, photographic equipment bags, golf bags, camera cases, binocular cases, gun cases, occupational luggage cases (for example, physicians' cases, sample cases), and like containers and cases designed to be carried with the person. The term “luggage” does not include handbags (that is, pocketbooks, purses, shoulder bags, clutch bags, and all similar articles, by whatever name known, customarily carried by women or girls). The term “luggage” also does not include flat goods (that is, small flatware designed to be carried on the person, such as banknote cases, bill cases, billfolds, bill purses, bill rolls, card cases, change cases, cigarette cases, coin purses, coin holders, compacts, currency cases, key cases, letter cases, license cases, money cases, pass cases, passport cases, powder cases, spectacle cases, stamp cases, vanity cases, tobacco pouches, and similar articles).
NAFTA. “NAFTA” means the North American Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States, Canada, and Mexico on December 17, 1992.
Preferential treatment. “Preferential treatment” means entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative restrictions, limitations, or consultation levels as provided in 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(3).
Self-start edge. “Self-start edge” when used with reference to knit-to-shape components means a finished edge which is finished as the component comes off the knitting machine. Several components with finished edges may be linked by yarn or thread as they are produced from the knitting machine.
Wholly formed fabric components. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to fabric components, means that all of the production processes, starting with the production of wholly formed fabric and ending with a component that is ready for incorporation into an apparel article, took place in a single country.
Wholly formed fabrics. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to fabric(s), means that all of the production processes, starting with polymers, fibers, filaments, textile strips, yarns, twine, cordage, rope, or strips of fabric and ending with a fabric by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other process, took place in a single country.
Wholly formed yarns. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to yarns, means that all of the production processes, starting with the extrusion of filament, strip, film, or sheet and including drawing to fully orient a filament or slitting a film or sheet into strip, or the spinning of all fibers into yarn, or both, and ending with a yarn or plied yarn, took place in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries.
§ 10.243   Articles eligible for preferential treatment.
(a) General. Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, preferential treatment applies to the following apparel and other textile articles that are imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country:
(1) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in the United States, or in both, exclusively from any one of the following:
(i) Fabrics or fabric components wholly formed, or components knit-to-shape, in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in the United States), provided that, if the apparel article is assembled from knitted or crocheted or woven wholly formed fabrics or from knitted or crocheted or woven wholly formed fabric components produced from fabric, all dyeing, printing, and finishing of that knitted or crocheted or woven fabric or component was carried out in the United States;
(ii) Fabrics or fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape, in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, if those fabrics (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries) or components are in chief value of llama, alpaca, and/or vicuña;
(iii) Fabrics or yarns, provided that apparel articles (except articles classifiable under subheading 6212.10 of the HTSUS) of those fabrics or yarns would be considered an originating good under General Note 12(t), HTSUS, if the apparel articles had been imported directly from Canada or Mexico; or
(iv) Fabrics or yarns that the President or his designee has designated in the Federal Register as fabrics or yarns that cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner;
(2) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in the United States, or in both, exclusively from a combination of fabrics, fabric components, knit-to-shape components or yarns described in two or more of paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (a)(1)(iv) of this section;
(3) A handloomed, handmade, or folklore apparel or other textile article of an ATPDEA beneficiary country that the President or his designee and representatives of the ATPDEA beneficiary country mutually agree is a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article and that is certified as a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article by the competent authority of the ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(4) Brassieres classifiable under subheading 6212.10 of the HTSUS, if both cut and sewn or otherwise assembled in the United States, or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in both, other than articles entered as articles described in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) and (a)(7) of this section, and provided that any applicable additional requirements set forth in § 10.248 are met;
(5) Textile luggage assembled in an ATPDEA beneficiary country from fabric wholly formed and cut in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States, that is entered under subheading 9802.00.80 of the HTSUS;
(6) Textile luggage assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabric cut in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabric wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States; and
(7) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabrics or from fabric components formed, or from components knit-to-shape, in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries), including apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in part but not exclusively from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(b) Dyeing, printing, finishing and other operations —(1) Dyeing, printing and finishing operations. Dyeing, printing, and finishing operations may be performed on any yarn, fabric, or knit-to-shape or other component used in the production of any article described under paragraph (a) of this section without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country and not in any other country and subject to the following additional conditions:
(i) In the case of an article described in paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(7) of this section that contains a knitted or crocheted or woven fabric, or a knitted or crocheted or woven fabric component produced from fabric, that was wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, as described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, any dyeing, printing, or finishing of that knitted or crocheted or woven fabric or component must have been carried out in the United States; and
(ii) In the case of assembled luggage described in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, an operation may be performed in an ATPDEA beneficiary country only if that operation is incidental to the assembly process within the meaning of § 10.16.
(2) Other operations. An article described under paragraph (a) of this section that is otherwise eligible for preferential treatment will not be disqualified from receiving that treatment by virtue of having undergone one or more operations such as embroidering, stone-washing, enzyme-washing, acid washing, perma-pressing, oven-baking, bleaching, garment-dyeing or screen printing, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country and not in any other country. However, in the case of assembled luggage described in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, an operation may be performed in an ATPDEA beneficiary country without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment only if it is incidental to the assembly process within the meaning of § 10.16.
(c) Special rules for certain component materials —(1) Foreign findings, trimmings, interlinings, and yarns —(i) General. An article otherwise described under paragraph (a) of this section will not be ineligible for the preferential treatment referred to in § 10.241 because the article contains:
(A) Findings and trimmings of foreign origin, if the value of those findings and trimmings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “findings and trimmings” include, but are not limited to, sewing thread, hooks and eyes, snaps, buttons, “bow buds,” decorative lace trim, elastic strips, zippers (including zipper tapes), and labels;
(B) Interlinings of foreign origin, if the value of those interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “interlinings” include only a chest type plate, a “hymo” piece, or “sleeve header,” of woven or weft-inserted warp knit construction and of coarse animal hair or man-made filaments;
(C) Any combination of findings and trimmings of foreign origin and interlinings of foreign origin, if the total value of those findings and trimmings and interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article; or
(D) Yarns not wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries if the total weight of all those yarns is not more than 7 percent of the total weight of the article.
(ii) “Cost” and “value” defined. The “cost” of components and the “value” of findings and trimmings or interlinings referred to in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section means:
(A) The ex-factory price of the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than ex-factory, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an ex-factory price; or
(B) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (c)(1)(ii)(A) of this section or if CBP finds that price to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture, or other processing of the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings, including the cost or value of materials and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit.
(iii) Treatment of yarns as findings or trimmings. If any yarns not wholly formed in the United States or one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries are used in an article as a finding or trimming described in paragraph (c)(1)(i)(A) of this section, the yarns will be considered to be a finding or trimming for purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section.
(2) Special rule for nylon filament yarn. An article otherwise described under paragraph (a)(1)(i) through (iii), (a)(2), or (a)(7) of this section will not be ineligible for the preferential treatment referred to in § 10.241 because the article contains nylon filament yarn (other than elastomeric yarn) that is classifiable in subheading 5402.10.30, 5402.10.60, 5402.31.30, 5402.31.60, 5402.32.30, 5402.32.60, 5402.41.10, 5402.41.90, 5402.51.00, or 5402.61.00 of the HTSUS and that is entered free of duty from Canada, Mexico, or Israel.
(d) Imported directly defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “imported directly” mean:
(1) Direct shipment from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States without passing through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(2) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, the articles in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country while en route to the United States and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or
(3) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the articles in the shipment upon arrival in the United States are imported directly only if they:
(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the intermediate country;
(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of sale other than at retail, and the Center director is satisfied that the importation results from the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and
(iii) Were not subjected to operations other than loading or unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the articles in good condition.
§ 10.244   Certificate of Origin.
(a) General. A Certificate of Origin must be employed to certify that an apparel or other textile article being exported from an ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States qualifies for the preferential treatment referred to in § 10.241. The Certificate of Origin must be prepared in the ATPDEA beneficiary country by the producer or exporter or by the producer's or exporter's authorized agent in the format specified in paragraph (b) of this section. If the person preparing the Certificate of Origin is not the producer of the article, the person may complete and sign a Certificate of Origin on the basis of:
(1) The person's reasonable reliance on the producer's written representation that the article qualifies for preferential treatment; or
(2) A completed and signed Certificate of Origin for the article voluntarily provided to the person by the producer.
(b) Form of Certificate. The Certificate of Origin referred to in paragraph (a) of this section must be in the following format:
Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act Textile Certificate of Origin
(c) Preparation of Certificate. The following rules will apply for purposes of completing the Certificate of Origin set forth in paragraph (b) of this section:
(1) Blocks 1 through 5 pertain only to the final article exported to the United States for which preferential treatment may be claimed;
(2) Block 1 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the exporter;
(3) Block 2 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the producer. If there is more than one producer, attach a list stating the legal name and address (including country) of all additional producers. If this information is confidential, it is acceptable to state “available to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon request” in block 2. If the producer and the exporter are the same, state “same” in block 2;
(4) Block 3 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the importer;
(5) Block 4 should provide a full description of each article. The description should be sufficient to relate it to the invoice description and to the description of the article in the international Harmonized System. Include the invoice number as shown on the commercial invoice or, if the invoice number is not known, include another unique reference number such as the shipping order number;
(6) In block 5, insert the letter that designates the preference group which applies to the article according to the description contained in the CFR provision cited on the Certificate for that group;
(7) Blocks 6 through 9 must be completed only when the block in question calls for information that is relevant to the preference group identified in block 5;
(8) Block 6 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the fabric producer;
(9) Block 7 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the yarn producer;
(10) Block 8 should state the name of the folklore article or should state that the article is handloomed or handmade of handloomed fabric;
(11) Block 9 should be completed if the article described in block 4 incorporates a fabric or yarn described in preference group C or D and should state the name of the fabric or yarn that has been considered as being in short supply in the NAFTA or that has been designated as not available in commercial quantities in the United States. Block 9 also should be completed if preference group E or I applies to the article described in block 4 and the article incorporates a fabric or yarn described in preference group C or D;
(12) Block 10 must contain the signature of the producer or exporter or the producer's or exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(13) Block 14 should reflect the date on which the Certificate was completed and signed;
(14) Block 15 should be completed if the Certificate is intended to cover multiple shipments of identical articles as described in block 4 that are imported into the United States during a specified period of up to one year (see § 10.246(b)(4)(ii)). The “from” date is the date on which the Certificate became applicable to the article covered by the blanket Certificate (this date may be prior to the date reflected in block 14). The “to” date is the date on which the blanket period expires; and
(15) The Certificate may be printed and reproduced locally. If more space is needed to complete the Certificate, attach a continuation sheet.
§ 10.245   Filing of claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Declaration. In connection with a claim for preferential treatment for an apparel or other textile article described in § 10.243, the importer must make a written declaration that the article qualifies for that treatment. The inclusion on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, of the subheading within Chapter 98 of the HTSUS under which the article is classified will constitute the written declaration. Except in any of the circumstances described in § 10.246(d)(1), the declaration required under this paragraph must be based on a Certificate of Origin that has been completed and properly executed in accordance with § 10.244, that covers the article being imported, and that is in the possession of the importer.
(b) Corrected declaration. If, after making the declaration required under paragraph (a) of this section, the importer has reason to believe that a Certificate of Origin on which a declaration was based contains information that is not correct, the importer must within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error make a corrected declaration and pay any duties that may be due. A corrected declaration will be effected by submission of a letter or other written statement to CBP, either at the port of entry or electronically.
§ 10.246   Maintenance of records and submission of Certificate by importer.
(a) Maintenance of records. Each importer claiming preferential treatment for an article under § 10.245 must maintain in the United States, in accordance with the provisions of part 163 of this chapter, all records relating to the importation of the article. Those records must include a copy of the Certificate of Origin referred to in § 10.245(a) and any other relevant documents or other records as specified in § 163.1(a) of this chapter.
(b) Submission of Certificate. An importer who claims preferential treatment on an apparel or other textile article under § 10.245(a) must provide, at the request of the Center director, a copy of the Certificate of Origin pertaining to the article. A Certificate of Origin submitted to CBP under this paragraph:
(1) Must be in writing or must be transmitted electronically through any electronic data interchange system authorized by CBP for that purpose;
(2) If in writing, must be signed by the producer or exporter or the producer's or exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(3) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country from which the article is exported. If the Certificate is completed in a language other than English, the importer must provide to CBP upon request a written English translation of the Certificate; and
(4) May be applicable to:
(i) A single importation of an article into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(ii) Multiple importations of identical articles into the United States that occur within a specified blanket period, not to exceed 12 months, set out in the Certificate by the exporter. For purposes of this paragraph and § 10.244(c)(14), “identical articles” means articles that are the same in all material respects, including physical characteristics, quality, and reputation.
(c) Correction and nonacceptance of Certificate. If the Center director determines that a Certificate of Origin is illegible or defective or has not been completed in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, the importer will be given a period of not less than five working days to submit a corrected Certificate. A Certificate will not be accepted in connection with subsequent importations during a period referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section if the Center director determined that a previously imported identical article covered by the Certificate did not qualify for preferential treatment.
(d) Certificate not required —(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, an importer is not required to have a Certificate of Origin in his possession for:
(i) An importation of an article for which the Center director has in writing waived the requirement for a Certificate of Origin because the Center director is otherwise satisfied that the article qualifies for preferential treatment;
(ii) A non-commercial importation of an article; or
(iii) A commercial importation of an article whose value does not exceed US$2,500, provided that, unless waived by the Center director, the producer, exporter, importer or authorized agent includes on, or attaches to, the invoice or other document accompanying the shipment the following signed statement:
I hereby certify that the article covered by this shipment qualifies for preferential treatment under the ATPDEA.
(2) Exception. If the Center director determines that an importation described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section forms part of a series of importations that may reasonably be considered to have been undertaken or arranged for the purpose of avoiding a Certificate of Origin requirement under §§ 10.244 through 10.246, the Center director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must have in his possession a valid Certificate of Origin to support the claim for preferential treatment. The importer will have 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice to obtain a valid Certificate of Origin, and a failure to timely obtain the Certificate of Origin will result in denial of the claim for preferential treatment. For purposes of this paragraph, a “series of importations” means two or more entries covering articles arriving on the same day from the same exporter and consigned to the same person.
§ 10.247   Verification and justification of claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Verification by CBP. A claim for preferential treatment made under § 10.245, including any statements or other information contained on a Certificate of Origin submitted to CBP under § 10.246, will be subject to whatever verification the Center director deems necessary. In the event that the Center director for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential treatment may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(1) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to CBP by the importer or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(2) Documentation and other information regarding the country of origin of an article and its constituent materials, including, but not limited to, production records, information relating to the place of production, the number and identification of the types of machinery used in production, and the number of workers employed in production; and
(3) Evidence to document the use of U.S. or ATPDEA beneficiary country materials in the production of the article in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents.
(b) Importer requirements. In order to make a claim for preferential treatment under § 10.245, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the apparel or other textile article qualifies for preferential treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential treatment because it is specifically described in one of the provisions under § 10.243(a). If the importer is claiming that the article incorporates fabric or yarn that was wholly formed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, the importer must have records that identify the producer of the fabric or yarn. A properly completed Certificate of Origin in the form set forth in § 10.244(b) is a record that would serve these purposes;
(2) Must establish and implement internal controls which provide for the periodic review of the accuracy of the Certificates of Origin or other records referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section;
(3) Must have shipping papers that show how the article moved from the ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States. If the imported article was shipped through a country other than an ATPDEA beneficiary country and the invoices and other documents from the ATPDEA beneficiary country do not show the United States as the final destination, the importer also must have documentation that demonstrates that the conditions set forth in § 10.243(d)(3)(i) through (iii) were met; and
(4) Must be prepared to explain, upon request from CBP, how the records and internal controls referred to in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section justify the importer's claim for preferential treatment.
§ 10.248   Additional requirements for preferential treatment of brassieres.
(a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(1) Producer. “Producer” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that exercises direct, daily operational control over the production process in an ATPDEA beneficiary country.
(2) Entity controlling production. “Entity controlling production” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that is not a producer and that controls the production process in an ATPDEA beneficiary country through a contractual relationship or other indirect means.
(3) Fabrics formed in the United States. “Fabrics formed in the United States” means fabrics that were produced by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other fabric-making process performed in the United States.
(4) Cost. “Cost” when used with reference to fabrics formed in the United States means:
(i) The price of the fabrics when last purchased, f.o.b. port of exportation, as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(A) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price; or
(B) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabrics to the place of production if included in that price; or
(ii) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section or if CBP finds that price to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture, or other processing of the fabrics, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in forming the fabrics) and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabrics to the port of exportation.
(5) Declared customs value. “Declared customs value” when used with reference to fabric contained in an article means the sum of:
(i) The cost of fabrics formed in the United States that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; and
(ii) The cost of all other fabric contained in the article, exclusive of all findings and trimmings, determined as follows:
(A) In the case of fabric purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of the fabric as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
( 1 ) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price; or
( 2 ) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price, but less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric to the place of production if included in that price;
(B) In the case of fabric for which the cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(A) of this section or if CBP finds that cost to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric), general expenses and embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric to the port of exportation;
(C) In the case of fabric components purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of those fabric components as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
( 1 ) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; or
( 2 ) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, and less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric components to the place of production if included in that price; and
(D) In the case of fabric components for which a fabric cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(C) of this section or if CBP finds that cost to be unreasonable: All reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components, including the cost or value of materials (which does not include the cost of recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components) and general expenses, but excluding the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and excluding expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric components to the port of exportation.
(6) Year. “Year” means a 12-month period beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30 but does not include any 12-month period that began prior to October 1, 2002.
(7) Entered. “Entered” means entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States.
(b) Limitations on preferential treatment —(1) General. During the year that begins on October 1, 2003, and during any subsequent year, articles of a producer or an entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.243(a)(4) will be eligible for preferential treatment only if:
(i) The aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in § 10.243(a)(4) during the immediately preceding year was at least 75 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in § 10.243(a)(4) during that year; or
(ii) In a case in which the 75 percent requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section was not met during a year and therefore those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production were not eligible for preferential treatment during the following year, the aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.243(a)(4) and that were entered during the immediately preceding year was at least 85 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.243(a)(4) and that were entered during that year; and
(iii) In conjunction with the filing of the claim for preferential treatment under § 10.245, the importer records on the entry summary or warehouse withdrawal for consumption (CBP Form 7501, column 34), or its electronic equivalent, the distinct and unique identifier assigned by CBP to the applicable documentation prescribed under paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Rules of application —(i) General. For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii) of this section and for purposes of preparing and filing the documentation prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, the following rules will apply:
(A) The articles in question must have been produced in the manner specified in § 10.243(a)(4) and the articles in question must be entered within the same year;
(B) Articles that are exported to countries other than the United States and are never entered are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(C) Articles that are entered under an HTSUS subheading other than the HTSUS subheading which pertains to articles described in § 10.243(a)(4) are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section;
(D) For purposes of determining compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, all articles that conform to the production standards set forth in § 10.243(a)(4) must be considered, regardless of the HTSUS subheading under which they were entered;
(E) Fabric components and fabrics that constitute findings or trimmings are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(F) Beginning October 1, 2003, in order for articles to be eligible for preferential treatment in a given year, a producer of, or entity controlling production of, those articles must have met the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the immediately preceding year. If articles of a producer or entity controlling production fail to meet the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during a year, articles of that producer or entity controlling production:
( 1 ) Will not be eligible for preferential treatment during the following year;
( 2 ) Will remain ineligible for preferential treatment until the year that follows a year in which articles of that producer or entity controlling production met the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section; and
( 3 ) After the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section has been met, will again be subject to the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the following year for purposes of determining eligibility for preferential treatment in the next year.
(G) A new producer or new entity controlling production, that is, a producer or entity controlling production who did not produce or control production of articles that were entered as articles described in § 10.243(a)(4) during the immediately preceding year, must first establish compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section as a prerequisite to preparation of the declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c) of this section;
(H) A declaration of compliance prepared by a producer or by an entity controlling production must cover all production of that producer or all production that the entity controls for the year in question;
(I) A producer would not prepare a declaration of compliance if all of its production is covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(J) In the case of a producer, the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and the declaration of compliance procedure under paragraph (c) of this section apply to all articles of that producer for the year in question, even if some but not all of that production is also covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(K) The U.S. importer does not have to be the producer or the entity controlling production who prepared the declaration of compliance; and
(L) The exclusion references regarding findings and trimmings in paragraph (b)(1)(i) and paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section apply to all findings and trimmings, whether or not they are of foreign origin.
(ii) Examples. The following examples will illustrate application of the principles set forth in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section.
(c) Documentation —(1) Initial declaration of compliance. In order for an importer to comply with the requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, the producer or the entity controlling production must have filed with CBP, in accordance with paragraph (c)(4) of this section, a declaration of compliance with the applicable 75 or 85 percent requirement prescribed in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or (b)(1)(ii) of this section. After filing of the declaration of compliance has been completed, CBP will advise the producer or the entity controlling production of the distinct and unique identifier assigned to that declaration. The producer or the entity controlling production will then be responsible for advising each appropriate U.S. importer of that distinct and unique identifier for purposes of recording that identifier on the entry summary or warehouse withdrawal. In order to provide sufficient time for advising the U.S. importer of that distinct and unique identifier prior to the arrival of the articles in the United States, the producer or the entity controlling production should file the declaration of compliance with CBP at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the first shipment of the articles to the United States.
(2) Amended declaration of compliance. If the information on the declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section is based on an estimate because final year-end information was not available at that time and the final data differs from the estimate, or if the producer or the entity controlling production has reason to believe for any other reason that the declaration of compliance that was filed contained erroneous information, within 30 calendar days after the final year-end information becomes available or within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error:
(i) The producer or the entity controlling production must file with the CBP office identified in paragraph (c)(4) of this section an amended declaration of compliance containing that final year-end information or other corrected information; or
(ii) If that final year-end information or other corrected information demonstrates noncompliance with the applicable 75 or 85 percent requirement, the producer or the entity controlling production must in writing advise both the CBP office identified in paragraph (c)(4) of this section and each appropriate U.S. importer of that fact.
(3) Form and preparation of declaration of compliance —(i) Form. The declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section may be printed and reproduced locally and must be in the following format:
Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act Declaration of Compliance for Brassieres
[19 CFR 10.243(a)(4) and 10.248]
(ii) Preparation. The following rules will apply for purposes of completing the declaration of compliance set forth in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section:
(A) In block 1, fill in the year commencing October 1 and ending September 30 of the calendar year during which the applicable 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section was met;
(B) Block 2 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the preparer and should also include the preparer's importer identification number (see § 24.5 of this chapter), if the preparer has one;
(C) Block 3 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the ATPDEA beneficiary country producer if that producer is not already identified in block 2. If there is more than one producer, attach a list stating the legal name and address (including country) of all additional producers;
(D) Blocks 4 and 5 apply only to articles that were entered during the year identified in block 1; and
(E) In block 7, the signature must be that of an authorized officer, employee, agent or other person having knowledge of the relevant facts and the date must be the date on which the declaration of compliance was completed and signed.
(4) Filing of declaration of compliance. The declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section:
(i) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country in which the articles covered by the declaration were produced. If the declaration is completed in a language other than English, the producer or the entity controlling production must provide to CBP upon request a written English translation of the declaration; and
(ii) Must be filed with the New York Strategic Trade Center, Customs and Border Protection, 1 Penn Plaza, New York, New York 10119.
(d) Verification of declaration of compliance —(1) Verification procedure. A declaration of compliance filed under this section will be subject to whatever verification CBP deems necessary. In the event that CBP for any reason is prevented from verifying the statements made on a declaration of compliance, CBP may deny any claim for preferential treatment made under § 10.245 that is based on that declaration. A verification of a declaration of compliance may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(i) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to CBP by the importer, the producer, the entity controlling production, or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(ii) Documentation and other information regarding all articles that meet the production standards specified in § 10.243(a)(4) that were exported to the United States and that were entered during the year in question, whether or not a claim for preferential treatment was made under § 10.245. Those records and other information include, but are not limited to, work orders and other production records, purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents;
(iii) Evidence to document the cost of fabrics formed in the United States that were used in the production of the articles in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents, work orders and other production records, and inventory control records;
(iv) Evidence to document the cost or value of all fabric other than fabrics formed in the United States that were used in the production of the articles in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents, work orders and other production records, and inventory control records; and
(v) Accounting books and documents to verify the records and information referred to in paragraphs (d)(1)(ii) through (d)(1)(iv) of this section. The verification of purchase orders, invoices and bills of lading will be accomplished through the review of a distinct audit trail. The audit trail documents must consist of a cash disbursement or purchase journal or equivalent records to establish the purchase of the fabric. The headings in each of these journals or other records must contain the date, vendor name, and amount paid for the fabric. The verification of production records and work orders will be accomplished through analysis of the inventory records of the producer or entity controlling production. The inventory records must reflect the production of the finished article which must be referenced to the original purchase order or lot number covering the fabric used in production. In the inventory production records, the inventory should show the opening balance of the inventory plus the purchases made during the accounting period and the inventory closing balance.
(2) Notice of determination. If, based on a verification of a declaration of compliance filed under this section, CBP determines that the applicable 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section was not met, CBP will publish a notice of that determination in the Federal Register.
§ 10.251   Applicability.
Title XXXI of Public Law 107-210 (116 Stat. 933), entitled the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), amended sections 202, 203, 204, and 208 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (the ATPA, 19 U.S.C. 3201-3206) to authorize the President to extend additional trade benefits to ATPA beneficiary countries that have been designated as ATPDEA beneficiary countries. Sections 204(b)(1) and (b)(4) of the ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1) and (b)(4)) provide for the preferential treatment of certain non-textile articles that were not entitled to duty-free treatment under the ATPA prior to enactment of the ATPDEA. The provisions of §§ 10.251-10.257 of this part set forth the legal requirements and procedures that apply for purposes of obtaining preferential treatment pursuant to ATPA sections 204(b)(1) and (b)(4).
§ 10.252   Definitions.
When used in §§ 10.251 through 10.257, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
ATPA. “ATPA” means the Andean Trade Preference Act, 19 U.S.C. 3201-3206.
ATPDEA beneficiary country. “ATPDEA beneficiary country” means a “beneficiary country” as defined in § 10.202(a) for purposes of the ATPA which the President also has designated as a beneficiary country for purposes of preferential treatment of products under 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1) and (b)(4) and which has been the subject of a finding by the President or his designee, published in the Federal Register, that the beneficiary country has satisfied the requirements of 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(5)(A)(ii).
ATPDEA beneficiary country vessel. “ATPDEA beneficiary country vessel” means a vessel:
(a) Which is registered or recorded in an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(b) Which sails under the flag of an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(c) Which is at least 75 percent owned by nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country or by a company having its principal place of business in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, of which the manager or managers, chairman of the board of directors or of the supervisory board, and the majority of the members of those boards are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country and of which, in the case of a company, at least 50 percent of the capital is owned by an ATPDEA beneficiary country or by public bodies or nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(d) Of which the master and officers are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country; and
(e) Of which at least 75 percent of the crew are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country.
HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Preferential treatment. “Preferential treatment” means entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative restrictions in the case of tuna described in § 10.253(a)(1) and free of duty in the case of any article described in § 10.253(a)(2).
United States vessel. “United States vessel” means either: a vessel having a certificate of documentation with a fishery endorsement under chapter 121 of title 46 of the United States Code; or a vessel that is documented under the laws of the United States and for which a license has been issued pursuant to section 9 of the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988.
§ 10.253   Articles eligible for preferential treatment.
(a) General. Preferential treatment applies to any of the following articles, provided that the article in question is imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section:
(1) Tuna that is harvested by United States vessels or ATPDEA beneficiary country vessels, that is prepared or preserved in any manner, in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, in foil or other flexible airtight containers weighing with their contents not more than 6.8 kilograms each; and
(2) Any of the following articles that the President has determined are not import-sensitive in the context of imports from ATPDEA beneficiary countries, provided that the article in question meets the country of origin and value content requirements set forth in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section:
(i) Footwear not designated on December 4, 1991, as eligible articles for the purpose of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) under Title V, Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461 through 2467);
(ii) Petroleum, or any product derived from petroleum, provided for in headings 2709 and 2710 of the HTSUS;
(iii) Watches and watch parts (including cases, bracelets, and straps), of whatever type including, but not limited to, mechanical, quartz digital or quartz analog, if those watches or watch parts contain any material which is the product of any country with respect to which HTSUS column 2 rates of duty apply; and
(iv) Handbags, luggage, flat goods, work gloves, and leather wearing apparel that were not designated on August 5, 1983, as eligible articles for purposes of the GSP.
(b) Imported directly defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “imported directly” mean:
(1) Direct shipment from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States without passing through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(2) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, the articles in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country while en route to the United States and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or
(3) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the articles in the shipment upon arrival in the United States are imported directly only if they:
(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the intermediate country;
(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of sale other than at retail, and the Center director is satisfied that the importation results from the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and
(iii) Were not subjected to operations other than loading or unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the articles in good condition.
(c) Country of origin criteria —(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, an article described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section may be eligible for preferential treatment if the article is either:
(i) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country; or
(ii) A new or different article of commerce which has been grown, produced, or manufactured in an ATPDEA beneficiary country.
(2) Exceptions. No article will be eligible for preferential treatment by virtue of having merely undergone simple (as opposed to complex or meaningful) combining or packaging operations, or mere dilution with water or mere dilution with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the article. The principles and examples set forth in § 10.195(a)(2) will apply equally for purposes of this paragraph.
(d) Value content requirement —(1) General. An article may be eligible for preferential treatment only if the sum of the cost or value of the materials produced in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries, plus the direct costs of processing operations performed in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries, is not less than 35 percent of the appraised value of the article at the time it is entered.
(2) Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and CBI beneficiary countries. For the specific purpose of determining the percentage referred to in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the term “ATPDEA beneficiary country” includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any CBI beneficiary country as defined in § 10.191(b)(1). Any cost or value of materials or direct costs of processing operations attributable to the Virgin Islands or any CBI beneficiary country must be included in the article prior to its final exportation to the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country as defined in § 10.252.
(3) Materials produced in the United States. For purposes of determining the percentage referred to in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, an amount not to exceed 15 percent of the appraised value of the article at the time it is entered may be attributed to the cost or value of materials produced in the customs territory of the United States (other than the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). The principles set forth in paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section will apply in determining whether a material is “produced in the customs territory of the United States” for purposes of this paragraph.
(4) Cost or value of materials —(i) “Materials produced in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries” defined. For purposes of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the words “materials produced in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries” refer to those materials incorporated in an article which are either:
(A) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country or two or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries; or
(B) Substantially transformed in any ATPDEA beneficiary country or two or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries into a new or different article of commerce which is then used in any ATPDEA beneficiary country as defined in § 10.252 in the production or manufacture of a new or different article which is imported directly into the United States. For purposes of this paragraph (d)(4)(i)(B), no material will be considered to be substantially transformed into a new or different article of commerce by virtue of having merely undergone simple (as opposed to complex or meaningful) combining or packaging operations, or mere dilution with water or mere dilution with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the article. The examples set forth in § 10.196(a), and the principles and examples set forth in § 10.195(a)(2), will apply for purposes of the corresponding context under paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section.
(ii) Failure to establish origin. If the importer fails to maintain adequate records to establish the origin of a material, that material may not be considered to have been grown, produced, or manufactured in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or in the customs territory of the United States for purposes of determining the percentage referred to in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(iii) Determination of cost or value of materials. (A) The cost or value of materials produced in an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries or in the customs territory of the United States includes:
( 1 ) The manufacturer's actual cost for the materials;
( 2 ) When not included in the manufacturer's actual cost for the materials, the freight, insurance, packing, and all other costs incurred in transporting the materials to the manufacturer's plant;
( 3 ) The actual cost of waste or spoilage, less the value of recoverable scrap; and
( 4 ) Taxes and/or duties imposed on the materials by any ATPDEA beneficiary country or by the United States, provided they are not remitted upon exportation.
(B) Where a material is provided to the manufacturer without charge, or at less than fair market value, its cost or value will be determined by computing the sum of:
( 1 ) All expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the material, including general expenses;
( 2 ) An amount for profit; and
( 3 ) Freight, insurance, packing, and all other costs incurred in transporting the material to the manufacturer's plant.
(5) Direct costs of processing operations —(i) Items included. For purposes of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the words “direct costs of processing operations” mean those costs either directly incurred in, or which can be reasonably allocated to, the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the specific merchandise under consideration. Those costs include, but are not limited to the following, to the extent that they are includable in the appraised value of the imported merchandise:
(A) All actual labor costs involved in the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the specific merchandise, including fringe benefits, on-the-job training, and the cost of engineering, supervisory, quality control, and similar personnel;
(B) Dies, molds, tooling, and depreciation on machinery and equipment which are allocable to the specific merchandise;
(C) Research, development, design, engineering, and blueprint costs insofar as they are allocable to the specific merchandise; and
(D) Costs of inspecting and testing the specific merchandise.
(ii) Items not included. For purposes of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the words “direct costs of processing operations” do not include items which are not directly attributable to the merchandise under consideration or are not costs of manufacturing the product. These include, but are not limited to:
(A) Profit; and
(B) General expenses of doing business which either are not allocable to the specific merchandise or are not related to the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the merchandise, such as administrative salaries, casualty and liability insurance, advertising, and salesmen's salaries, commissions, or expenses.
(6) Articles wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country. Any article which is wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country as defined in § 10.252, and any article produced or manufactured in an ATPDEA beneficiary country as defined in § 10.252 exclusively from materials which are wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries, will normally be presumed to meet the requirement set forth in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
§ 10.254   Certificate of Origin.
A Certificate of Origin as specified in § 10.256 must be employed to certify that an article described in § 10.253(a) being exported from an ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States qualifies for the preferential treatment referred to in § 10.251. The Certificate of Origin must be prepared in the ATPDEA beneficiary country by the producer or exporter or by the producer's or exporter's authorized agent. If the person preparing the Certificate of Origin is not the producer of the article, the person may complete and sign a Certificate on the basis of:
(a) The person's reasonable reliance on the producer's written representation that the article qualifies for preferential treatment; or
(b) A completed and signed Certificate of Origin for the article voluntarily provided to the person by the producer.
§ 10.255   Filing of claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Declaration. In connection with a claim for preferential treatment for an article described in § 10.253(a), the importer must make a written declaration that the article qualifies for that treatment. The written declaration should be made by including on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the symbol “J + ” as a prefix to the subheading of the HTSUS in which the article in question is classified. Except in any of the circumstances described in § 10.256(d)(1), the declaration required under this paragraph must be based on a complete and properly executed original Certificate of Origin that covers the article being imported and that is in the possession of the importer.
(b) Corrected declaration. If, after making the declaration required under paragraph (a) of this section, the importer has reason to believe that a Certificate of Origin on which a declaration was based contains information that is not correct, the importer must within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error make a corrected declaration and pay any duties that may be due. A corrected declaration will be effected by submission of a letter or other written statement to the Customs port where the declaration was originally filed.
§ 10.256   Maintenance of records and submission of Certificate by importer.
(a) Maintenance of records. Each importer claiming preferential treatment for an article under § 10.255 must maintain in the United States, in accordance with the provisions of part 163 of this chapter, all records relating to the importation of the article. Those records must include the original Certificate of Origin referred to in § 10.255(a) and any other relevant documents or other records as specified in § 163.1(a) of this chapter.
(b) Submission of Certificate. An importer who claims preferential treatment on an article under § 10.255(a) must provide, at the request of the Center director, a copy of the Certificate of Origin pertaining to the article. A Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under this paragraph:
(1) Must be on CBP Form 449, including privately-printed copies of that Form, or, as an alternative to CBP Form 449, in an approved computerized format or other medium or format as is approved by the Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC 20229. An alternative format must contain the same information and certification set forth on CBP Form 449;
(2) Must be signed by the producer or exporter or by the producer's or exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(3) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country from which the article is exported. If the Certificate is completed in a language other than English, the importer must provide to Customs upon request a written English translation of the Certificate; and
(4) May be applicable to:
(i) A single importation of an article into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(ii) Multiple importations of identical articles into the United States that occur within a specified blanket period, not to exceed 12 months, set out in the Certificate by the exporter. For purposes of this paragraph, “identical articles” means articles that are the same in all material respects, including physical characteristics, quality, and reputation.
(c) Correction and nonacceptance of Certificate. If the Center director determines that a Certificate of Origin is illegible or defective or has not been completed in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, the importer will be given a period of not less than five working days to submit a corrected Certificate. A Certificate will not be accepted in connection with subsequent importations during a period referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section if the Center director determined that a previously imported identical article covered by the Certificate did not qualify for preferential treatment.
(d) Certificate not required —(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, an importer is not required to have a Certificate of Origin in his possession for:
(i) An importation of an article for which the Center director has in writing waived the requirement for a Certificate of Origin because the Center director is otherwise satisfied that the article qualifies for preferential treatment;
(ii) A non-commercial importation of an article; or
(iii) A commercial importation of an article whose value does not exceed US$2,500, provided that, unless waived by the Center director, the producer, exporter, importer or authorized agent includes on, or attaches to, the invoice or other document accompanying the shipment the following signed statement:
I hereby certify that the article covered by this shipment qualifies for preferential tariff treatment under the ATPDEA.
Check One:
(2) Exception. If the Center director determines that an importation described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section forms part of a series of importations that may reasonably be considered to have been undertaken or arranged for the purpose of avoiding a Certificate of Origin requirement under §§ 10.254 through 10.256, the Center director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must have in his possession a valid Certificate of Origin to support the claim for preferential treatment. The importer will have 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice to obtain a valid Certificate of Origin, and a failure to timely obtain the Certificate of Origin will result in denial of the claim for preferential treatment. For purposes of this paragraph, a “series of importations” means two or more entries covering articles arriving on the same day from the same exporter and consigned to the same person.
§ 10.257   Verification and justification of claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Verification by Customs. A claim for preferential treatment made under § 10.255, including any statements or other information contained on a Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under § 10.256, will be subject to whatever verification the Center director deems necessary. In the event that the Center director for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential treatment may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(1) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to Customs by the importer or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(2) Documentation and other information regarding the country of origin of an article and its constituent materials, including, but not limited to, production records, information relating to the place of production, the number and identification of the types of machinery used in production, and the number of workers employed in production; and
(3) Evidence to document the use of U.S. or ATPDEA beneficiary country materials in the production of the article in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents.
(b) Importer requirements. In order to make a claim for preferential treatment under § 10.255, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the article qualifies for preferential treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential treatment because it meets the country of origin and value content requirements set forth in § 10.253(c) and (d). A properly completed Certificate of Origin in the form prescribed in § 10.254(b) is a record that would serve this purpose;
(2) Must establish and implement internal controls which provide for the periodic review of the accuracy of the Certificate of Origin or other records referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section;
(3) Must have shipping papers that show how the article moved from the ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States. If the imported article was shipped through a country other than an ATPDEA beneficiary country and the invoices and other documents from the ATPDEA beneficiary country do not show the United States as the final destination, the importer also must have documentation that demonstrates that the conditions set forth in § 10.253(b)(3)(i) through (iii) were met; and
(4) Must be prepared to explain, upon request from Customs, how the records and internal controls referred to in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section justify the importer's claim for preferential treatment.
§ 10.301   Scope and applicability.
The provisions of §§ 10.302 through 10.311 of this part relate to the procedures for obtaining duty preferences on imported goods under the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement (the Agreement) entered into on January 2, 1988, and the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 1988 (102 Stat. 1851). The United States and Canada agreed to suspend operation of the Agreement with effect from January 1, 1994, to coincide with the entry into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement ( see part 181 of this chapter) and to continue suspending operation of the Agreement with the entry into force of the Agreement Between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) ( see part 182 of this chapter) and, accordingly, the provisions of §§ 10.302 through 10.311 of this part apply only to goods imported from Canada that were entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, during the period January 1, 1989, through December 31, 1993. In situations involving goods subject to bilateral restrictions or prohibitions, or country of origin marking, other criteria for determining origin may be applicable pursuant to Article 407 of the Agreement.
§ 10.302   Eligibility criteria in general.
Subject to the more specific explanations of the criteria in §§ 10.303 and 10.305 of this part, goods classifiable under an HTSUS heading or subheading for which the symbol “CA” appears in the “special” column are eligible for a preference if:
(a) Originating goods. The goods originate in Canada or the United States, or both, and
(b) Direct shipment required. Except as provided in § 10.306(b), are directly shipped to the United States from Canada.
§ 10.303   Originating goods.
(a) General. For purposes of eligibility for a preference under the Agreement, goods may be regarded as originating goods if:
(1) Wholly of Canadian or United States origin. The goods are wholly obtained or produced in the Territory of Canada or the United States, or both, as set forth in General Note 3(c), HTSUS;
(2) Transformed with a change in classification. The goods have been transformed by a processing which results in a change in classification and, if required, a sufficient value-content, as set forth in General Note 3(c), HTSUS; or
(3) Transformed without a change in classification. An assembly of goods, other than goods of chapters 61 to 63 of the HTSUS, which does not result in a change in classification because the goods were imported in an unassembled or disassembled form and classified as the goods, unassembled or disassembled, pursuant to General Rule of Interpretation 2(a), HTSUS, or because the tariff subheading for the goods provides for both the goods themselves and their parts, shall nonetheless be treated as originating goods if:
(i) The value of originating materials and the direct cost of assembling in Canada or the United States, or both, as defined in § 10.305 constitute not less than 50 percent of the value of the goods when exported to the United States;
(ii) The assembled goods are not subsequently processed or further assembled in a third country; and
(iii) The goods satisfy the requirement in § 10.306.
(b) Originating materials. For purposes of this section and § 10.305, the term “materials” means goods, other than those included as part of the direct cost of processing or assembling, used or consumed in the production of other goods, and the term “orginating” when used with reference to such materials means that the materials satisfy one of the criteria for originating goods set forth in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Change in classification. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the expression “change in classification” means a change of classification within the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System) as published and amended from time to time by the Customs Cooperation Council.
(d) Articles of feather. The goods are eligible to be treated as originating in Canada pursuant to General Note 3(c)(vii)(R)(12)(ee), HTSUS.
§ 10.304   Exclusions.
(a) Changes based on simple processing. No goods shall be considered originating for purposes of eligibility under the Agreement if they have merely undergone simple packaging or simple combining operations, or have undergone mere dilution with water or with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the goods.
(b) Other excluded processing. No goods shall be considered to be originating merely by virtue of having undergone any process or work in which the facts clearly justify the presumption that the sole object was to circumvent the provisions of Chapter 3 of the Agreement.
§ 10.305   Value content requirement.
(a) Direct cost of processing or assembling —(1) Definition. For purposes of applying a specific rule of origin under the Agreement which requires a value content determination, the terms “direct cost of processing” and “direct cost of assembling” mean the costs directly incurred in, or that can be reasonably allocated to, the production of goods, including:
(i) The cost of all labor, including benefits and on-the-job training, labor provided in connection with supervision, quality control, shipping, receiving, storage, packaging, management at the location of the process or assembly, and other like labor, whether provided by employees or independent contractors;
(ii) The cost of inspecting and testing the goods;
(iii) The cost of energy, fuel, dies, molds, tooling, and the depreciation and maintenance of machinery and equipment, without regard to whether they originate within the territory of the United States or Canada;
(iv) Development, design, and engineering costs;
(v) Rent, mortgage interest, depreciation on buildings, property insurance premiums, maintenance, taxes and the cost of utilities for real property used in the production of the goods; and
(vi) Royalty, licensing, or other like payments for the right to the goods.
(2) Exclusions from direct costs of processing or assembling. Excluded from the direct costs of processing or assembling are:
(i) Costs relating to the general expense of doing business, such as the cost of providing executive, financial, sales, advertising, marketing, accounting and legal services, and insurance;
(ii) Brokerage charges relating to the importation and exportation of goods;
(iii) Costs for telephone, mail, and other means of communication;
(iv) Packing costs for exporting the goods;
(v) Royalty payments related to a licensing agreement to distribute or sell the goods;
(vi) Rent, mortgage interest, depreciation on buildings, property insurance premiums, maintenance, taxes, and the cost of utilities for real property used by personnel charged with administrative functions; and
(vii) Profit on the goods.
(3) Interpretation —(i) Indirect materials. Under the definition of “materials” set forth in § 10.303(b), certain types of materials are treated as direct costs of processing or assembling under paragraph (a) of this section. This applies principally to materials used or consumed indirectly in the production of exported goods, where no portion of those materials is physically incorporated in the exported goods. In addition to the items specified in paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section, such materials include items such as gloves and safety glasses worn by production workers, tape used in painting processes, and tools, materials and spare parts used in the repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment used in the production of the exported goods. Such materials are to be distinguished from waste and spoilage specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(C) of this section, which relate to materials that are physically incorporated in the exported goods.
(ii) Directly incurred. In order for costs incurred by a production facility to be treated as direct costs of processing or assembling, those costs must be directly incurred in the production of the exported goods and not merely associated with the production facility as peripheral costs necessary to operate the facility. In addition to the exclusions set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, such peripheral costs include labor costs for nurses tending to employees, for accounting personnel involved in physical inventory taking, for personnel responsible for purchasing or requisitioning materials to be used or consumed in the production process, and for second level supervisors and above who are not directly involved in the production process.
(iii) Labor costs. Under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, labor costs includable as direct costs of processing or assembling are limited to labor provided by the producer's employees or by independent contractors. Thus, for example, where processing operations are performed on components in the United States and those components are sold to a manufacturer in Canada where they are incorporated in goods exported to the United States, the cost of those processing operations in the United States cannot be separately counted as a direct cost of processing attributable to the finished goods exported to the United States.
(iv) Interest expense. Bona fide interest payments on debt of any form, secured or unsecured, undertaken on arm's length terms in the ordinary course of business to finance the acquisition of fixed assets such as real property, a plant, and/or equipment used in the production of goods in the territory of Canada or the U.S. are includable in the direct cost of processing or direct cost of assembling. Interest will be treated as a direct cost of processing or assembling, but only that portion of the interest which is related to a fixed asset directly used in the production of the goods exported; thus, where an entire production facility is covered by a mortgage and incorporates both production and administrative or other general expense space, an appropriate allocation must be made in order to ensure that only that portion of the interest allocated to the production area is counted toward the value-content requirement. Interest expenses attributable to general and administrative costs or expenses, including interest on funds borrowed to meet the payroll of personnel directly involved in the production of goods, are not considered direct costs of processing or assembly.
(b) Value of originating materials —(1) Definition. The term “value of materials originating in the United States or Canada or both” means the aggregate of:
(i) The price paid by the producer of exported goods for materials originating in either the United States or Canada, or both, or for materials imported from a third country used or consumed in the production of such originating materials; and
(ii) When not included in that price, the following costs related thereto:
(A) Freight, insurance, packing and all other costs incurred in transporting any of the materials referred to in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section to the location of the producer;
(B) Duties, taxes and brokerage fees on such materials paid in the United States, or Canada, or both;
(C) The cost of waste or spoilage resulting from the use or consumption of such materials, less the value of renewable scrap or by-product; and
(D) The value of goods and services relating to such materials determined in accordance with subparagraph 1(b) of Article 8 of the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
(2) Directly attributable. Whenever a value-content determination is required by the rules of the Agreement and whenever originating materials and materials obtained or produced in a third country are used or consumed together in the production of goods in the United States or Canada, the value of originating materials may be treated as such only to the extent that the value is directly attributable to the goods under consideration.
(3) Interpretation —(i) Price paid. As provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the “price paid” for materials by the producer of exported goods forms the basis for determining the value of such materials when incorporated in the exported goods. The actual price paid for such materials will determine the value of those materials for purposes of the value-content requirement, even though a relationship between the producer and the seller of the materials may have influenced the price, except where the price did not include items specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section that relate to the materials. The following examples will illustrate these principles. Notwithstanding these examples, the totality of the facts must be examined in each case to determine whether § 10.304(b) is applicable.
(ii) Originating materials for which no price paid. In cases involving a vertically integrated producer (that is, an entity which produces goods for export from materials which that producer has also made) a “price paid” for such originating materials normally does not exist. Even in the absence of a “price paid”, such a vertically integrated producer may still claim the materials as originating materials for purposes of qualifying the finished goods exported to the United States as goods originating in Canada. However, under paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section the value of those materials for purposes of applying the value-content requirement is limited to the price paid for those materials imported from the third country plus any costs added thereto under paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. The following examples will illustrate these principles.
(c) Value of goods when exported. The term “value of the goods when exported to the United States” means the aggregate of:
(1) The price paid by the producer for all materials, whether or not the materials originate in the United States, or Canada, or both, and, when not included in the price paid for the materials, the following costs related thereto:
(i) Freight, insurance, packing, and all other costs incurred in transporting all materials to the location of the producer;
(ii) Duties, taxes, and brokerage fees on all materials paid in the United States, or Canada, or both;
(iii) The cost of waste or spoilage resulting from the use or consumption of such materials, less the value of renewable scrap or by-product; and
(iv) The value of goods and services relating to all materials determined in accordance with subparagraph 1(b) of Article 8 of the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs Trade; and
(2) The direct cost of processing or the direct cost of assembling the goods.
§ 10.306   Direct shipment to the United States.
Goods shall be considered as directly shipped to the United States from Canada for the purpose of eligibility for preferences under the Agreement only under the following circumstances:
(a) Through shipment. The goods have been shipped directly from Canada to the United States without passage through the territory of any third country; or
(b) Shipment through a third country. The goods were shipped through the territory of a third country but:
(1) The goods did not enter the commerce of any third country;
(2) The goods did not undergo any operation other than unloading, reloading, or any operation necessary to transport them to the United States or to preserve them in good condition; and
(3) All shipping and export documents show the United States as the final destination.
§ 10.307   Documentation.
(a) Claims for a preference. A preference in accordance with the Agreement may be claimed by including on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the symbol “CA” as a prefix to the subheading of the HTSUS under which each eligible good is classified.
(b) Failure to claim a preference. Failure to make a timely claim for a preference under the Agreement will result in liquidation at the rate which would otherwise be applicable.
(c) Documentation showing origin. A claim for a preference under the Agreement shall be based on the Exporter's Certificate of Origin, properly completed and signed by the person who exports or knowingly causes the goods to be exported from Canada. The Exporter's Certificate of Origin must be available at the time the preference is claimed and shall be presented to the Center director upon request.
(d) Exporter's Certificate of Origin —(1) General. The Exporter's Certificate of Origin shall be prepared on Customs Form 353. In lieu of the Customs Form 353, the exporter may use an approved computerized format or such other format as is approved by the Headquarters, U.S. Customs Service, Office of Trade Operations, Washington, DC 20229. Alternative formats must contain the same information and certification set forth on Customs Form 353.
(2) Blanket certifications. A blanket Exporter's Certificate of Origin, not to exceed a period of 12 months, issued for goods claimed as originating goods under the Agreement, can only be used if the certifying exporter is able to verify that the goods in each shipment to be covered by the blanket certification actually qualify for treatment under the Agreement. A blanket certification does not allow an exporter to average its costs over the blanket certification period in order to establish that the exported goods meet the criteria for originating goods under the Agreement. Under § 10.308, the exporter must retain supporting records that will permit a review of the eligibility of the goods in each shipment covered by a blanket certification.
(e) Exceptions to documentation requirements. Exceptions to the foregoing documentation requirements may be authorized at the discretion of the Center director in the following circumstances:
(1) Exception for informal entries. As set forth in paragraphs (e)(1) (i) and (ii) of this section, an Exporter's Certificate of Origin may be waived in connection with an entry entitled to informal entry procedures as authorized in §§ 143.21 and 143.22 of this chapter if:
(i) Commercial goods which qualify for informal entry. The invoice, or an appropriate Customs release document, for commercial goods which qualify both for informal entry and a preference must include the following statement, on the invoice or appropriate Customs document:
I hereby certify that the goods described herein are eligible for a preference based upon the rules of origin enumerated in the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement.
Check One:
(ii) Noncommercial goods which qualify for informal entry. The importation of goods from Canada by a person for noncommercial use may be exempt from documentation requirements if the goods are legally marked “Made in Canada”, or it can otherwise be shown that they are originating goods under the Agreement and there is no evidence to the contrary.
(2) Waiver of evidence of direct shipment. The Center director may waive the submission of evidence of direct shipment when otherwise satisfied, taking into consideration the kind and value of the goods, that the goods were, in fact, imported directly from Canada, and that they otherwise qualify for a preference in accordance with the Agreement.
§ 10.308   Records retention.
(a) Importer. The importer of record shall retain the exporter's certificate of origin required by § 10.307(d) for a period of 5 years and it must be made available upon request by the appropriate Customs official.
(b) Exporter. Any person who exports, or who knowlingly causes to be exported, any merchandise to Canada shall make, keep, and render for examination and inspection, such records (including certifications of origin or copies thereof), which pertain to such exportation for a period of 5 years from the date of exportation. In the event that the appropriate Customs official requests submission of the records, they shall be submitted directly to the requesting official.
§ 10.309   Verification of documentation.
Any evidence of country of origin or of direct shipment submitted in support of a preference under the Agreement shall be subject to such verification as the appropriate Customs official may deem necessary. If the U.S. importer or U.S. exporter or their agent does not provide the information requested by the appropriate Customs officer, the Center director may refuse to grant the claim for preference, in addition to other available sanctions.
§ 10.310   Election to average for motor vehicles.
(a) Election. In determining whether a motor vehicle is originating for purposes of the preferences under the Agreement or a Canadian article under the Automotive Products Trade Act of 1965 (APTA), a manufacturer may elect to average, over its 12-month financial year, its calculation of the value-content requirement for vehicles of the same class or sister vehicles which are assembled in the same plant as provided for in the Agreement. A manufacturer must declare its election to average before the importation of any vehicles produced within the identified 12-month period. The election to average is subject to the conditions and requirements set forth in §§ 10.310 and 10.311.
(b) Effect of election. An election to average shall be binding at the time of the first entry of vehicles for which the election has been made and shall remain binding for the plant for the entire period covered by the election. If a manufacturer's annual report, required by § 10.311, does not verify the claim that the vehicles are originating goods under the Agreement or Canadian articles under APTA, or if a manufacturer otherwise fails to comply with the reporting requirements, entries of the vehicles identified in the averaging declaration will be subject to liquidation in accordance with the rate of duty which would otherwise apply.
(c) Election in lieu of certificate of origin. In lieu of the Exporter's Certificate of Origin required in § 10.307(c), an importer of vehicles covered by an election to average under this section may have its claim for preference based on a copy of the declaration of election.
§ 10.311   Documentation for election to average for motor vehicles.
A manufacturer who elects to average for motor vehicles shall submit a declaration of election to average, quarterly reports, and an annual report in the form and manner as follows:
(a) Declaration of election. A declaration of election to average, signed by an authorized company official, shall be submitted by the manufacturer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulatory Audit, Detroit, Michigan 48226-2568 on CBP Form 355, Declaration of Election to Average.
(b) Quarterly Report. A quarterly report shall be submitted to the Office of International Trade, Regulatory Audit, at the above address, on CBP Form 356, Vehicle Cost Report (Quarterly), within 30 days after the end of each quarter. In lieu of the CBP Form 356, the manufacturer may submit the information required on the form in an approved computerized format or such other format as is approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulatory Audit, Detroit, Michigan 48226-2568. Alternative formats must contain the same information set forth on the CBP Form 356. Negative quarterly reports are required.
(c) Annual Report. An annual report shall be submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulatory Audit, Detroit, Michigan 48226-2568, on CBP Form 357, Vehicle Cost Report (Annual), within 90 days of the end of the financial year identified in the Election to Average, CBP Form 355. In lieu of the CBP Form 357, Vehicle Cost Report (Annual), the manufacturer may submit the information required on the form in an approved computerized format or such other format as is approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulatory Audit, Detroit, Michigan 48226-2568. Alternative formats must contain the same information set forth on CBP Form 357.
§ 10.401   Scope.
This subpart implements the duty preference and related customs provisions applicable to imported goods under the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (the US-CFTA) signed on June 6, 2003, and under the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the Act; 117 Stat. 909). Except as otherwise specified in this subpart, the procedures and other requirements set forth in this subpart are in addition to the customs procedures and requirements of general application contained elsewhere in this chapter. Additional provisions implementing certain aspects of the US-CFTA and the Act are contained in parts 12, 24, 162, and 163 of this chapter.
§ 10.402   General definitions.
As used in this subpart, the following terms will have the meanings indicated unless either the context in which they are used requires a different meaning or a different definition is prescribed for a particular section of this subpart:
(a) Certification. “Certification” means, either when used by itself or in the expression “certification of origin”, the certification established under article 4.13 of the US-CFTA, that a good qualifies as an originating good under the US-CFTA;
(b) Claim of origin. “Claim of origin” means a claim that a textile or apparel good is an originating good or a good of a Party;
(c) Claim for preferential tariff treatment. “Claim for preferential tariff treatment” means a claim that a good is entitled to the duty rate applicable under the US-CFTA and to an exemption from the merchandise processing fee;
(d) Customs authority. “Customs authority” means the competent authority that is responsible under the law of a Party for the administration of customs laws and regulations;
(e) Customs Valuation Agreement. “Customs Valuation Agreement” means the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, which is part of the WTO Agreement;
(f) Days. “Days” means calendar days;
(g) Customs duty. “Customs duty” includes any customs or import duty and a charge of any kind imposed in connection with the importation of a good, including any form of surtax or surcharge in connection with such importation, but, for purposes of implementing the US-CFTA, does not include any:
(1) Charge equivalent to an internal tax imposed consistently with Article III:2 of the GATT 1994; in respect of like, directly competitive, or substitutable goods of the Party, or in respect of goods from which the imported good has been manufactured or produced in whole or in part;
(2) Antidumping or countervailing duty; and
(3) Fee or other charge in connection with importation commensurate with the cost of services rendered;
(h) Enterprise. “Enterprise” means any entity constituted or organized under applicable law, whether or not for profit, and whether privately-owned or governmentally-owned, including any corporation, trust, partnership, sole proprietorship, joint venture, or other association;
(i) GATT 1994. “GATT 1994” means the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, which is part of the WTO Agreement;
(j) Goods. “Goods” means domestic products as these are understood in the GATT 1994 or such goods as the Parties may agree, and includes originating goods of that Party. A good of a Party may include materials of other countries;
(k) Harmonized System. “Harmonized System (HS)” means the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, including its General Rules of Interpretation, Section Notes, and Chapter Notes, as adopted and implemented by the Parties in their respective tariff laws;
(l) Heading. “Heading” means the first four digits in the tariff classification number under the Harmonized System;
(m) HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as promulgated by the U.S. International Trade Commission;
(n) Identical goods. “Identical goods” means goods that are the same in all respects relevant to the particular rule of origin that qualifies the goods as originating;
(o) Indirect material. “Indirect material” means a good used in the production, testing, or inspection of a good in the territory of the United States or Chile but not physically incorporated into the good, or a good used in the maintenance of buildings or the operation of equipment associated with the production of a good in the territory of the United States or Chile, including—
(1) Fuel and energy;
(2) Tools, dies, and molds;
(3) Spare parts and materials used in the maintenance of equipment and buildings;
(4) Lubricants, greases, compounding materials, and other materials used in production or used to operate equipment and buildings;
(5) Gloves, glasses, footwear, clothing, safety equipment, and supplies;
(6) Equipment, devices, and supplies used for testing or inspecting the goods;
(7) Catalysts and solvents; and
(8) Any other goods that are not incorporated into the good but whose use in the production of the good can reasonably be demonstrated to be a part of that production;
(p) Originating. “Originating” means qualifying under the rules of origin set out in Chapter Four (Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures) of the US-CFTA;
(q) Party. “Party” means the United States or the Republic of Chile;
(r) Person. “Person” means a natural person or an enterprise;
(s) Preferential tariff treatment. “Preferential tariff treatment” means the duty rate applicable to an originating good under the US-CFTA, and an exemption from the merchandise processing fee.
(t) Subheading. “Subheading” means the first six digits in the tariff classification number under the Harmonized System;
(u) Tariff preference level. “Tariff preference level” means a quantitative limit for certain non-originating textiles and textile apparel goods that may be entitled to preferential tariff treatment as if such goods were originating based on the goods meeting the production requirements set forth in § 10.421 of this subpart.
(v) Textile or apparel good. “Textile or apparel good” means a good listed in the Annex to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (commonly referred to as ATC), which is part of the WTO Agreement;
(w) Territory. “Territory” means:
(1) With respect to Chile, the land, maritime and air space under its sovereignty, and the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf within which it exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law and its domestic law; and
(2) With respect to the United States,
(i) The customs territory of the United States, which includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico,
(ii) The foreign trade zones located in the United States and Puerto Rico, and
(iii) Any areas beyond the territorial seas of the United States within which, in accordance with international law and its domestic law, the United States may exercise rights with respect to the seabed and subsoil and their natural resources;
(x) WTO Agreement. “WTO Agreement” means the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization of April 15, 1994.
§ 10.410   Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment upon importation.
(a) Declaration. In connection with a claim for preferential tariff treatment for an originating good under the US-CFTA, including an exemption from the merchandise processing fee, the U.S. importer must make a written declaration that the good qualifies for such treatment. The written declaration is made by including on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the symbol “CL” as a prefix to the subheading of the HTSUS under which each qualifying good is classified, or by the method specified for equivalent reporting via electronic interchange.
(b) Corrected declaration. If, after making the declaration required under paragraph (a) of this section, the U.S. importer has reason to believe that the declaration or the certification or other information on which the declaration was based contains information that is not correct, the importer must, within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error, make a corrected declaration and pay any duties that may be due. A corrected declaration will be effected by submission of a letter or other statement either in writing or via an authorized electronic data interchange system to the CBP office where the original declaration was filed specifying the correction ( see §§ 10.482 and 10.483 of this subpart).
§ 10.411   Certification of origin or other information.
(a) Contents. An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment on a good must submit, at the request of the Center director, a certification of origin or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies as originating. A certification or other information submitted to CBP under this paragraph:
(1) Need not be in a prescribed format but must be in writing or must be transmitted electronically pursuant to any electronic means authorized by CBP for that purpose;
(2) Must include the following information:
(i) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the importer of record of the good (if known);
(ii) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the exporter of the good (if different from the producer);
(iii) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the producer of the good (if known);
(iv) A description of the good for which preferential tariff treatment is claimed, which must be sufficiently detailed to relate it to the invoice and the HS nomenclature;
(v) The HTSUS tariff classification, to six or more digits, as necessary for the specific change in tariff classification rule for the good set forth in General Note 26(n), HTSUS;
(vi) The preference criterion as set forth in paragraph (f) of this section.
(b) Statement. A certification submitted to CBP under paragraph (a) of this section must include a statement, in substantially the following form:
“I Certify that:
The information on this document is true and accurate and I assume the responsibility for proving such representations. I understand that I am liable for any false statements or material omissions made on or in connection with this document;
I agree to maintain, and present upon request, documentation necessary to support this certification, and to inform, in writing, all persons to whom the certification was given of any changes that could affect the accuracy or validity of this certification; and
The goods originated in the territory of one or more of the parties, and comply with the origin requirements specified for those goods in the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement; there has been no further production or any other operation outside the territories of the parties, other than unloading, reloading, or any other operation necessary to preserve it in good condition or to transport the good to the United States; and
This document consists of ____ pages, including all attachments.”
(c) Responsible official or agent. A certification submitted under paragraph (a) of this section must be signed and dated by a responsible official of the importer; exporter; or producer; or by the importer's, exporter's, or producer's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts. The certification must include the legal name and address of the responsible official or authorized agent signing the certification, and should include that person's telephone and e-mail address, if available. If the person making the certification is not the producer of the good, or the producer's authorized agent, the person may sign the certification of origin based on:
(1) A certification that the good qualifies as originating issued by the producer; or
(2) Knowledge of the exporter or importer that the good qualifies as an originating good.
(d) Language. The certification or other information submitted under paragraph (a) of this section must be completed either in the English or Spanish language. If the certification or other information is completed in Spanish, the importer must also provide to the Center director, upon request, a written English translation of the certification or other information.
(e) Applicability of certification. A certification may be applicable to:
(1) A single importation of a good into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(2) Multiple importations of identical goods into the United States that occur within a specified blanket period, not exceeding 12 months. In the case of multiple shipments of identical goods, the certification must specify the blanket period in “mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy” format.
(f) Preference criteria. The preference criterion to be included on the certification or other information as required in paragraph (a)(2)(vi) of this section is as follows:
(1) Preference criterion “A”, refers to a good that is wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of Chile or of the United States, or both (see General Note 26(b)(i), HTSUS);
(2) Preference criterion “B”, refers to a good that is produced entirely in the territory of Chile or the United States, or both ( see General Note 26(b)(ii), HTSUS), and
(i) Each of the non-originating materials used in the production of the good undergoes an applicable change in tariff classification specified in General Note 26(n), HTSUS, or
(ii) The good otherwise satisfies any applicable regional value content or other requirements specified in General Note 26(n), HTSUS;
(3) Preference criterion “C” refers to a good that is produced entirely in the territory of Chile or the United States, or both, exclusively from originating materials (see General Note 26(b)(iii), HTSUS).
§ 10.412   Importer obligations.
(a) General. An importer who makes a declaration under § 10.410(a) of this subpart is responsible for the truthfulness of the declaration and of all the information and data contained in the certification or other information submitted to CBP under § 10.411(a) of this subpart, for submitting any supporting documents requested by CBP, and for the truthfulness of the information contained in those documents. CBP will allow for the direct submission by the exporter or producer of business confidential or other sensitive information, including cost and sourcing information.
(b) Compliance. In order to make a claim for preferential treatment under § 10.410 of this subpart, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the good qualifies for preferential tariff treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential tariff treatment because it meets the applicable rules of origin set forth in General Note 26, HTSUS, and in this subpart. Those records may include a properly completed certification or other information as set forth in § 10.411 of this subpart; and
(2) May be required to demonstrate that the conditions set forth in § 10.463 of this subpart were met if the imported article was shipped through an intermediate country.
(c) Information provided by exporter or producer. The fact that the importer has issued a certification based on information provided by the exporter or producer will not relieve the importer of the responsibility referred to in paragraph (a) of this section. A U.S. importer who voluntarily makes a corrected declaration will not be subject to penalties for having made an incorrect declaration ( see § 10.481 of this subpart).
§ 10.413   Validity of certification.
A certification that is completed, signed and dated in accordance with the requirements listed in § 10.411 of this subpart will be accepted by CBP as valid for four years from the date on which the certification was signed. If the Center director determines that a certification is illegible or defective or has not been completed in accordance with § 10.411 of this subpart, the importer will be given a period of not less than five business days to submit a corrected certification.
§ 10.414   Certification or other information not required.
(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an importer will not be required to submit a certification or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies as originating under § 10.411(a) of this subpart for:
(1) A non-commercial importation of a good; or
(2) A commercial importation of a good whose value does not exceed U.S. $2,500, or the equivalent amount in Chilean currency.
(b) Exception. If the Center director determines that an importation described in paragraph (a) of this section may reasonably be considered to have been carried out or planned for the purpose of evading compliance with the rules and procedures governing claims for preference under the US-CFTA, the Center director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must submit to CBP a valid certification or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies as originating. The importer must submit such a certification or other information within 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice. Failure to timely submit the certification or other information will result in denial of the claim for preferential tariff treatment.
§ 10.415   Maintenance of records.
(a) General. An importer claiming preferential tariff treatment for a good imported into the United States must maintain, for five years after the date of importation of the good, a certification (or a copy thereof) or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies as originating, and any records and documents that the importer has relating to the origin of the good, including records and documents associated with:
(1) The purchase of, cost of, value of, and payment for, the good;
(2) Where appropriate, the purchase of, cost of, value of, and payment for, all materials, including recovered goods and indirect materials, used in the production of the good; and,
(3) Where appropriate, the production of the good in the form in which the good was exported.
(b) Method of maintenance. The records referred to in paragraph (a) of this section must be maintained by importers as provided in § 163.5 of this chapter.
§ 10.416   Effect of noncompliance; failure to provide documentation regarding transshipment.
(a) Effect of noncompliance. If the importer fails to comply with any requirement under this subpart, including submission of a certification of origin or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies as originating under § 10.411(a) of this subpart or submission of a corrected certification under § 10.413 of this subpart, the Center director may deny preferential tariff treatment to the imported good.
(b) Failure to provide documentation regarding transshipment. Where the requirements for preferential tariff treatment set forth elsewhere in this subpart are met, the Center director nevertheless may deny preferential tariff treatment to an originating good if the good is shipped through or transshipped in a country other than Chile or the United States, and the importer of the good does not provide, at the request of the Center director, copies of documents demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Center director that the requirements set forth in § 10.463 of this subpart were met.
§ 10.420   Filing of claim for tariff preference level.
A cotton or man-made fiber fabric or apparel good described in § 10.421 of this subpart that does not qualify as an originating good under § 10.451 of this subpart may nevertheless be entitled to preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA under an applicable tariff preference level (TPL). To make a TPL claim, the importer must include on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the applicable subheading in Chapter 99 of the HTSUS (9911.99.20 for a good described in § 10.421(a) or (b) of this subpart or 9911.99.40 for a good described in § 10.421(c) of this subpart) immediately above the applicable subheading in Chapter 52 through 62 of the HTSUS under which each non-originating cotton or man-made fiber fabric or apparel good is classified.
§ 10.421   Goods eligible for tariff preference claims.
The following goods are eligible for a TPL claim filed under § 10.420 of this subpart:
(a) Woven fabrics. Certain woven fabrics of Chapters 52, 54 and 55 of the HTSUS (Headings 5208 to 5212; 5407 and 5408; 5512 to 5516) that meet the applicable conditions for preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA other than the condition that they are originating goods, if they are wholly formed in the U.S. or Chile regardless of the origin of the yarn used to produce these fabrics.
(b) Cotton or man-made fabric goods. Certain cotton or man-made fabric goods of Chapters 58 and 60 of the HTSUS that meet the applicable conditions for preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA other than the condition that they are originating goods if they are wholly formed in the U.S. or Chile regardless of the origin of the fibers used to produce the spun yarn or the yarn used to produce the fabrics. 1
1 The relevant HTSUS subheadings for fabric goods in Chapters 58 or 60 eligible under HTSUS 9911.99.20 are as follows: 5801.21, 5801.22, 5801.23, 5801.24, 5801.25, 5801.26, 5801.31, 5801.32, 5801.33, 5801.34, 5801.35, 5801.36, 5802.11, 5802.19, 5802.20.0020, 5802.30.0030, 5803.10, 5803.90.30, 5804.10.10, 5804.21, 5804.29.10, 5804.30.0020, 5805.00.30, 5805.00.4010, 5806.10.10, 5806.10.24, 5806.10.28, 5806.20, 5806.31, 5806.32, 5807.10.05, 5807.10.2010, 5807.10.2020, 5807.90.05, 5807.90.2010, 5807.90.2020, 5808.10.40, 5808.10.70, 5808.90.0010, 5809.00, 5810.10, 5810.91, 5810.92, 5811.00.20, 5811.00.30, 6001.10, 6001.21, 6001.22, 6001.91, 6001.92, 6002.40, 6002.90, 6003.20, 6003.30, 6003.40, 6004.10, 6004.90, 6005.21, 6005.22, 6005.23, 6005.24, 6005.31, 6005.32, 6005.33, 6005.34, 6005.41, 6005.42, 6005.43, 6005.44, 6006.21, 6006.22, 6006.23, 6006.24, 6006.31, 6006.32, 6006.33, 6006.34, 6006.41, 6006.42, 6006.43, 6006.44.
(c) Cotton or man-made apparel goods. Cotton or man-made apparel goods in Chapters 61 and 62 of the HTSUS that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in the U.S. or Chile regardless of the origin of the fabric or yarn, provided that they meet the applicable conditions for preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA, other than the condition that they are originating goods.
§ 10.422   Submission of certificate of eligibility.
(a) Contents. An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment on a non-originating cotton or man-made fiber fabric or apparel good must submit, at the request of the Center director, a certificate of eligibility containing information demonstrating that the good satisfies the requirements for entry under the applicable TPL, as set forth in § 10.421 of this subpart. A certificate of eligibility submitted to CBP under this section:
(1) Need not be in a prescribed format but must be in writing or must be transmitted electronically pursuant to any electronic means authorized by CBP for that purpose;
(2) Must include the following information:
(i) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the importer of record of the good;
(ii) The legal name and address of the responsible official or authorized agent of the importer signing the certificate (if different from the importer of record), and that person's telephone and e-mail address, if available;
(iii) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the exporter of the good (if different from the producer);
(iv) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the producer of the good (if known);
(v) A description of the good, which must be sufficiently detailed to relate it to the invoice and the HS nomenclature;
(vi) The HTSUS tariff classification of the good, to six or more digits, as well as the applicable subheading in Chapter 99 of the HTSUS (9911.99.20 or 9911.99.40);
(vii) For a single shipment, the commercial invoice number;
(viii) For multiple shipments of identical goods, the blanket period in “mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy” format (12-month maximum); and
(3) Must include a statement, in substantially the following form:
“I Certify that:
The information on this document is true and accurate and I assume the responsibility for proving such representations. I understand that I am liable for any false statements or material omissions made on or in connection with this document;
I agree to maintain and present upon request, documentation necessary to support this certificate, and to inform, in writing, all persons to whom the certificate was given of any changes that could affect the accuracy or validity of this certificate; and
The goods were produced in the territory of one or more of the parties, and comply with the preference requirements specified for those goods in the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement and Chapter 99, subchapter XI of the HTSUS. There has been no further production or any other operation outside the territories of the parties, other than unloading, reloading, or any other operation necessary to preserve it in good condition or to transport the good to the United States; and
This document consists of ____ pages, including all attachments.”
(b) Responsible official or agent. The certificate of eligibility required to be submitted under this section must be signed and dated by a responsible official of the importer or by the importer's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts.
(c) Language. The certificate of eligibility must be completed either in the English or Spanish language. If the certificate is completed in Spanish, the importer must also provide to the Center director, upon request, a written English translation of the certificate;
(d) Applicability of certificate of eligibility. A certificate of eligibility may be applicable to:
(1) A single importation of a good into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(2) Multiple importations of identical goods into the United States that occur within a specified blanket period, not exceeding 12 months, set out in the certificate.
§ 10.423   Certificate of eligibility not required.
(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an importer will not be required to submit a certificate of eligibility for:
(1) A non-commercial importation of a good; or
(2) A commercial importation of a good whose value does not exceed U.S. $2,500, or the equivalent amount in Chilean currency.
(b) Exception. If the Center director determines that an importation described in paragraph (a) of this section may reasonably be considered to have been carried out or planned for the purpose of evading compliance with the rules and procedures governing TPL claims for preference under the US-CFTA, the Center director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must submit to CBP a valid certificate of eligibility. The importer must submit such a certificate within 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice. Failure to timely submit the certificate will result in denial of the claim for preferential tariff treatment.
§ 10.424   Effect of noncompliance; failure to provide documentation regarding transshipment of non-originating cotton or man-made fiber fabric or apparel goods.
(a) Effect of noncompliance. If the importer fails to comply with any requirement under this subpart, including submission of a certificate of eligibility under § 10.422 of this subpart, the Center director may deny preferential tariff treatment to the imported good.
(b) Failure to provide documentation regarding transshipment. Where the requirements for preferential tariff treatment set forth elsewhere in this subpart are met, the Center director nevertheless may deny preferential tariff treatment to a good for which a TPL claim is made if the good is shipped through or transshipped in a country other than Chile or the United States, and the importer of the good does not provide, at the request of the Center director, copies of documents demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Center director that the requirements set forth in § 10.425 of this subpart were met.
§ 10.425   Transit and transshipment of non-originating cotton or man-made fiber fabric or apparel goods.
(a) General. A good will not be considered eligible for preferential tariff treatment under an applicable TPL by reason of having undergone production that occurs entirely in the territory of Chile, the United States, or both, that would enable the good to qualify for preferential tariff treatment if subsequent to that production the good undergoes further production or any other operation outside the territories of Chile and the United States, other than unloading, reloading, or any other process necessary to preserve the good in good condition or to transport the good to the territory of Chile or the United States.
(b) Documentary evidence. An importer making a claim for preferential tariff treatment may be required to demonstrate, to CBP's satisfaction, that no further production or subsequent operation, other than permitted under paragraph (a) of this section, occurred outside the territories of Chile or the United States. An importer may demonstrate compliance with this section by submitting documentary evidence. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to, bills of lading, packing lists, commercial invoices, and customs entry and exit documents.
§ 10.430   Export requirements.
(a) Submission of certification to CBP. An exporter or producer in the United States that signs a certification of origin for a good exported from the United States to Chile must provide a copy of the certification (or such other medium or format approved by the Chile customs authority for that purpose) to CBP upon request.
(b) Notification of errors in certification. An exporter or producer in the United States who has completed and signed a certification of origin, and who has reason to believe that the certification contains or is based on information that is not correct, must immediately after the date of discovery of the error notify in writing all persons to whom the certification was given by the exporter or producer of any change that could affect the accuracy or validity of the certification.
(c) Maintenance of records —(1) General. An exporter or producer in the United States that signs a certification of origin for a good exported from the United States to Chile must maintain in the United States, for a period of at least five years after the date the certification was signed, all records and supporting documents relating to the origin of a good for which the certification was issued, including records and documents associated with:
(i) The purchase of, cost of, value of, and payment for, the good;
(ii) Where appropriate, the purchase of, cost of, value of, and payment for, all materials, including recovered goods and indirect materials, used in the production of the good; and
(iii) Where appropriate, the production of the good in the form in which the good was exported.
(2) Method of maintenance. The records referred to in paragraph (c) of this section must be maintained in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles applied in the country of production and in the case of exporters or producers in the United States must be maintained in the same manner as provided in § 163.5 of this chapter.
(3) Availability of records. For purposes of determining compliance with the provisions of this part, the exporter's or producer's records required to be maintained under this section must be stored and made available for examination and inspection by the Center director or other appropriate CBP officer in the same manner as provided in part 163 of this chapter.
§ 10.431   Failure to comply with requirements.
The Center director may apply such measures as the circumstances may warrant where an exporter or a producer in the United States fails to comply with any requirement of this part. Such measures may include the imposition of penalties pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1508(g) for failure to retain records required to be maintained under § 10.430.
§ 10.440   Right to make post-importation claim and refund duties.
Notwithstanding any other available remedy, where a good would have qualified as an originating good when it was imported into the United States but no claim for preferential tariff treatment was made, the importer of that good may file a claim for a refund of any excess duties at any time within one year after the date of importation of the good in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 10.441 of this subpart. Subject to the provisions of § 10.416 of this subpart, CBP may refund any excess duties by liquidation or reliquidation of the entry covering the good in accordance with § 10.442(c) of this part.
§ 10.441   Filing procedures.
(a) Place of filing. A post-importation claim for a refund under § 10.440 of this subpart must be filed with CBP, either at the port of entry or electronically.
(b) Contents of claim. A post-importation claim for a refund must be filed by presentation of the following:
(1) A written declaration stating that the good qualified as an originating good at the time of importation and setting forth the number and date of the entry or entries covering the good;
(2) Subject to § 10.413 of this subpart, a copy of a certification of origin or other information demonstrating that the good qualifies for preferential tariff treatment;
(3) A written statement indicating whether or not the importer of the good provided a copy of the entry summary or equivalent documentation to any other person. If such documentation was so provided, the statement must identify each recipient by name, CBP identification number and address and must specify the date on which the documentation was provided; and
(4) A written statement indicating whether or not any person has filed a protest relating to the good under any provision of law; and if any such protest has been filed, the statement must identify the protest by number and date.
§ 10.442   CBP processing procedures.
(a) Status determination. After receipt of a post-importation claim under § 10.441 of this subpart, the Center director will determine whether the entry covering the good has been liquidated and, if liquidation has taken place, whether the liquidation has become final.
(b) Pending protest or judicial review. If the Center director determines that any protest relating to the good has not been finally decided, the Center director will suspend action on the claim for refund filed under this subpart until the decision on the protest becomes final. If a summons involving the tariff classification or dutiability of the good is filed in the Court of International Trade, the Center director will suspend action on the claim for refund filed under this subpart until judicial review has been completed.
(c) Allowance of claim —(1) Unliquidated entry. If the Center director determines that a claim for a refund filed under this subpart should be allowed and the entry covering the good has not been liquidated, the Center director will take into account the claim for refund under this subpart in connection with the liquidation of the entry.
(2) Liquidated entry. If the Center director determines that a claim for a refund filed under this subpart should be allowed and the entry covering the good has been liquidated, whether or not the liquidation has become final, the entry must be reliquidated in order to effect a refund of duties pursuant to this subpart. If the entry is otherwise to be reliquidated based on administrative review of a protest or as a result of judicial review, the Center director will reliquidate the entry taking into account the claim for refund under this subpart.
(d) Denial of claim —(1) General. The Center director may deny a claim for a refund filed under § 10.441 of this subpart if the claim was not filed timely, if the importer has not complied with the requirements of § 10.441 of this subpart, if the certification submitted under § 10.441(b)(2) of this subpart cannot be accepted as valid (see § 10.413 of this subpart), or if, following an origin verification under § 10.470 of this subpart, the Center director determines either that the imported good did not qualify as an originating good at the time of importation or that a basis exists upon which preferential tariff treatment may be denied under § 10.470 of this subpart.
(2) Unliquidated entry. If the Center director determines that a claim for a refund filed under this subpart should be denied and the entry covering the good has not been liquidated, the Center director will deny the claim in connection with the liquidation of the entry, and notice of the denial and the reason for the denial will be provided to the importer in writing or via an authorized electronic data interchange system.
(3) Liquidated entry. If the Center director determines that a claim for a refund filed under this subpart should be denied and the entry covering the good has been liquidated, whether or not the liquidation has become final, the claim may be denied without reliquidation of the entry. If the entry is otherwise to be reliquidated based on administrative review of a protest or as a result of judicial review, such reliquidation may include denial of the claim filed under this subpart. In either case, the Center director will give the importer notice of the denial and the reason for the denial in writing or via an authorized electronic data interchange system.
§ 10.450   Definitions.
For purposes of §§ 10.450 through 10.463 of this subpart:
(a) Adjusted value. “Adjusted value” means the value determined in accordance with Articles 1 through 8, Article 15, and the corresponding interpretative notes of the Customs Valuation Agreement, adjusted, if necessary, to exclude any costs, charges, or expenses incurred for transportation, insurance, and related services incident to the international shipment of the merchandise from the country of exportation to the place of importation and the value of packing materials and containers for shipment as defined in § 10.450(m) of this subpart;
(b) Exporter. “Exporter” means a person who exports goods from the territory of a Party;
(c) Fungible goods or materials. “Fungible goods or materials” means goods or materials that are interchangeable for commercial purposes and whose properties are essentially identical;
(d) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” means the principles, rules, and procedures, including both broad and specific guidelines, that define the accounting practices accepted in the territory of a Party;
(e) Good. “Good” means any merchandise, product, article, or material;
(f) Goods wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of one or both of the Parties. “Goods wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of one or both of the Parties” means:
(1) Mineral goods extracted in the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(2) Vegetable goods, as such goods are defined in the Harmonized System, harvested in the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(3) Live animals born and raised in the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(4) Goods obtained from hunting, trapping, or fishing in the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(5) Goods (fish, shellfish, and other marine life) taken from the sea by vessels registered or recorded with a Party and flying its flag;
(6) Goods produced on board factory ships from the goods referred to in paragraph (f)(5) provided such factory ships are registered or recorded with that Party and fly its flag;
(7) Goods taken by a Party or a person of a Party from the seabed or beneath the seabed outside territorial waters, provided that a Party has rights to exploit such seabed;
(8) Goods taken from outer space, provided they are obtained by a Party or a person of a Party and not processed in the territory of a non-Party;
(9) Waste and scrap derived from:
(i) Production in the territory of one or both of the Parties, or
(ii) Used goods collected in the territory of one or both of the Parties, provided such goods are fit only for the recovery of raw materials;
(10) Recovered goods derived in the territory of a Party from used goods, and utilized in the Party's territory in the production of remanufactured goods; and
(11) Goods produced in the territory of one or both of the Parties exclusively from goods referred to in paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(10) of this section, or from their derivatives, at any stage of production;
(g) Importer. “Importer” means a person who imports goods into the territory of a Party;
(h) Issued. “Issued” means prepared by and, where required under a Party's domestic law or regulation, signed by the importer, exporter, or producer of the good;
(i) Location of the producer. “Location of the producer” means site of production of a good;
(j) Material. “Material” means a good that is used in the production of another good, including a part, ingredient, or indirect material;
(k) Non-originating good. “Non-originating good” means a good that does not qualify as originating under this subpart;
(l) Non-originating material. “Non-originating material” means a material that does not qualify as originating under this subpart;
(m) Packing materials and containers for shipment. “Packing materials and containers for shipment” means the goods used to protect a good during its transportation to the United States, and does not include the packaging materials and containers in which a good is packaged for retail sale;
(n) Producer. “Producer” means a person who engages in the production of a good in the territory of a Party;
(o) Production. “Production” means growing, mining, harvesting, fishing, raising, trapping, hunting, manufacturing, processing, assembling, or disassembling a good;
(p) Recovered goods. “Recovered goods” means materials in the form of individual parts that are the result of:
(1) The complete disassembly of used goods into individual parts; and
(2) The cleaning, inspecting, testing, or other processing of those parts as necessary for improvement to sound working condition by one or more of the following processes: welding, flame spraying, surface machining, knurling, plating, sleeving, and rewinding in order for such parts to be assembled with other parts, including other recovered parts in the production of a remanufactured good of Annex 4.18, US-CFTA;
(q) Remanufactured goods. “Remanufactured goods” means industrial goods assembled in the territory of a Party, listed in Annex 4.18, US-CFTA, that:
(1) Are entirely or partially comprised of recovered goods;
(2) Have the same life expectancy and meet the same performance standards as new goods; and
(3) Enjoy the same factory warranty as such new goods; and
(r) Self-produced material. “Self-produced material” means a material that is produced by the producer of a good and used in the production of that good; and
(s) Value. “Value” means the value of a good or material for purposes of calculating customs duties or for purposes of applying this subpart.
§ 10.451   Originating goods.
A good imported into the customs territory of the United States will be considered an originating good under the US-CFTA only if:
(a) The good is wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of Chile or of the United States, or both; or
(b) The good is produced entirely in the territory of Chile or of the United States, or both, satisfies all other applicable requirements of this subpart, and
(1) Each of the non-originating materials used in the production of the good undergoes an applicable change in tariff classification specified in General Note 26(n), HTSUS, and
(2) The good otherwise satisfies any applicable regional value content or other requirements specified in General Note 26(n), HTSUS; or
(c) The good is produced entirely in the territory of Chile or the United States, or both, exclusively from originating materials.
§ 10.452   Exclusions.
A good will not be considered to be an originating good and a material will not be considered to be an originating material by virtue of having undergone:
(a) Simple combining or packaging operations; or
(b) Mere dilution with water or with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the good or material.
§ 10.453   Treatment of textile and apparel sets.
Notwithstanding the specific rules specified in General Note 26(n), HTSUS, textile and apparel goods classifiable as goods put up in sets for retail sale as provided for in General Rule of Interpretation 3, HTSUS, will not be regarded as originating goods unless each of the goods in the set is an originating good or the non-originating goods in the set do not exceed 10 percent of the adjusted value of the set.
§ 10.454   Regional value content.
Where General Note 26, subdivision (n), HTSUS, sets forth a rule that specifies a regional value content test for a good, the regional value content of such good may be calculated, at the choice of the person claiming the tariff treatment authorized by this note for such good, on the basis of the build-down method or the build-up method described in this section, unless otherwise specified in the note.
(a) Build-down method. For the build-down method, the regional value content must be calculated on the basis of the formula RVC = ((AV-VNM)/AV) × 100, where RVC is the regional value content, expressed as a percentage; AV is the adjusted value; and VNM is the value of non-originating materials used by the producer in the production of the good; or
(b) Build-up method. For the build-up method, the regional value content must be calculated on the basis of the formula RVC = (VOM/AV) × 100, where RVC is the regional value content, expressed as a percentage; AV is the adjusted value; and VOM is the value of originating materials used by the producer in the production of the good.
§ 10.455   Value of materials.
(a) Calculating the regional value content. For purposes of calculating the regional value content of a good under General Note 26(n), HTSUS, and for purposes of applying the de minimis (see § 10.459) provisions of subdivision (e) of the note, the value of a material is:
(1) In the case of a material imported by the producer of the good, the adjusted value of the material with respect to that importation;
(2) In the case of a material acquired in the territory where the good is produced, except for a material to which paragraph (a)(3) of this section applies, the producer's price actually paid or payable for the material;
(3) In the case of a material provided to the producer without charge, or at a price reflecting a discount or similar reduction, the sum of—
(i) All expenses incurred in the growth, production or manufacture of the material, including general expenses, and
(ii) A reasonable amount for profit; or
(4) In the case of a material that is self-produced, the sum of—
(i) All expenses incurred in the production of the material, including general expenses, and
(ii) A reasonable amount for profit.
(b) Permissible additions to, and deductions from, the value of materials. The value of materials may be adjusted as follows:
(1) For originating materials, the following expenses, if not included under paragraph (a) of this section, may be added to the value of the originating material:
(i) The costs of freight, insurance, packing and all other costs incurred in transporting the material to the location of the producer;
(ii) Duties, taxes and customs brokerage fees on the material paid in the territory of Chile or of the United States, or both, other than duties and taxes that are waived, refunded, refundable or otherwise recoverable, including credit against duty or tax paid or payable; and
(iii) The cost of waste and spoilage resulting from the use of the material in the production of the good, less the value of renewable scrap or by-product; and
(2) For non-originating materials, if included under paragraph (a) of this section, the following expenses may be deducted from the value of the non-originating material:
(i) The costs of freight, insurance, packing and all other costs incurred in transporting the material to the location of the producer;
(ii) Duties, taxes and customs brokerage fees on the material paid in the territory of Chile or of the United States, or both, other than duties and taxes that are waived, refunded, refundable or otherwise recoverable, including credit against duty or tax paid or payable;
(iii) The cost of waste and spoilage resulting from the use of the material in the production of the good, less the value of renewable scrap or by-products; and
(iv) The cost of originating materials used in the production of the non-originating material in the territory of Chile or of the United States.
(c) Accounting method. Any cost or value referenced in General Note 26(n), HTSUS, and this subpart, must be recorded and maintained in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles applicable in the territory of the Party in which the good is produced (whether Chile or the United States).
§ 10.456   Accessories, spare parts or tools.
Accessories, spare parts or tools that form part of the good's standard accessories, spare parts or tools and are delivered with the good will be treated as a material used in the production of the good, if—
(a) The accessories, spare parts or tools are classified with and not invoiced separately from the good; and
(b) The quantities and value of the accessories, spare parts or tools are customary for the good.
§ 10.457   Fungible goods and materials.
(a) A person claiming preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA for a good may claim that a fungible good or material is originating either based on the physical segregation of each fungible good or material or by using an inventory management method. For purposes of this subpart, the term “inventory management method” means—
(1) Averaging,
(2) “Last-in, first-out,”
(3) “First-in, first-out,” or
(4) Any other method that is recognized in the generally accepted accounting principles of the Party in which the production is performed (whether Chile or the United States) or otherwise accepted by that Party.
(b) A person selecting an inventory management method under paragraph (a) of this section for particular fungible goods or materials must continue to use that method for those fungible goods or materials throughout the fiscal year of that person.
§ 10.458   Accumulation.
(a) Originating goods or materials of Chile or the United States that are incorporated into a good in the territory of the other Party will be considered to originate in the territory of the other Party for purposes of determining the eligibility of the goods or materials for preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA.
(b) A good that is produced in the territory of Chile, the United States, or both, by one or more producers, will be considered as an originating good if the good satisfies the applicable requirements of § 10.451 and General Note 26, HTSUS.
§ 10.459   De minimis.
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a good that does not undergo a change in tariff classification pursuant to General Note 26(n), HTSUS, will nonetheless be considered to be an originating good if—
(1) The value of all non-originating materials that are used in the production of the good and do not undergo the applicable change in tariff classification does not exceed 10 percent of the adjusted value of the good;
(2) The value of such non-originating materials is included in calculating the value of non-originating materials for any applicable regional value-content requirement under this note; and
(3) The good meets all other applicable requirements of General Note 26(n), HTSUS.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to:
(1) A non-originating material provided for in Chapter 4 of the Harmonized System, or a non-originating dairy preparation containing over 10 percent by weight of milk solids provided for in subheadings 1901.90 or 2106.90 of the Harmonized System, that is used in the production of a good provided for in Chapter 4 of the Harmonized System;
(2) A non-originating material provided for in Chapter 4 of the Harmonized System, or non-originating dairy preparations containing over 10 percent by weight of milk solids provided for in subheading 1901.90 of the Harmonized System, that are used in the production of the following goods: infant preparations containing over 10 percent in weight of milk solids provided for in subheading 1901.10 of the Harmonized System; mixes and doughs, containing over 25 percent by weight of butterfat, not put up for retail sale, provided for in subheading 1901.20 of the Harmonized System; dairy preparations containing over 10 percent by weight of milk solids provided for in subheadings 1901.90 or 2106.90 of the Harmonized System; goods provided for in heading 2105 of the Harmonized System; beverages containing milk provided for in subheading 2202.90 of the Harmonized System; or animal feeds containing over 10 percent by weight of milk solids provided for in subheading 2309.90 of the Harmonized System;
(3) A non-originating material provided for in heading 0805 of the Harmonized System or subheadings 2009.11 through 2009.30 of the Harmonized System that is used in the production of a good provided for in subheadings 2009.11 through 2009.30 of the Harmonized System, or in fruit or vegetable juice of any single fruit or vegetable, fortified with minerals or vitamins, concentrated or unconcentrated, provided for in subheadings 2106.90 or 2202.90 of the Harmonized System;
(4) A non-originating material provided for in Chapter 15 of the Harmonized System that is used in the production of a good provided for in headings 1501 through 1508, 1512, 1514, or 1515 of the Harmonized System;
(5) A non-originating material provided for in heading 1701 of the Harmonized System that is used in the production of a good provided for in headings 1701 through 1703 of the Harmonized System;
(6) A non-originating material provided for in Chapter 17 or in heading 1805 of the Harmonized System that is used in the production of a good provided for in subheading 1806.10 of the Harmonized System;
(7) A non-originating material provided for in headings 2203 through 2208 of the Harmonized System that is used in the production of a good provided for in heading 2207 or 2208 of the Harmonized System; and
(8) A non-originating material used in the production of a good provided for in Chapters 1 through 21 of the Harmonized System unless the non-originating material is provided for in a different subheading than the good for which origin is being determined under this section.
(c) A textile or apparel good provided for in Chapters 50 through 63 of the Harmonized System that is not an originating good because certain fibers or yarns used in the production of the component of the good that determines the tariff classification of the good do not undergo an applicable change in tariff classification set out in General Note 26(n), HTSUS, shall nonetheless be considered to be an originating good if the total weight of all such fibers or yarns in that component is not more than seven percent of the total weight of that component. A good containing elastomeric yarns in the component of the good that determines the tariff classification of the good shall be considered to be an originating good only if such yarns are wholly formed in the territory of a Party. For purposes of this paragraph, if a good is a fiber, yarn or fabric, the component of the good that determines the tariff classification of the good is all of the fibers in the yarn, fabric or group of fibers.
§ 10.460   Indirect materials.
An indirect material, as defined in § 10.402(o), will be considered to be an originating material without regard to where it is produced.
§ 10.461   Retail packaging materials and containers.
Packaging materials and containers in which a good is packaged for retail sale, if classified with the good for which preferential tariff treatment under the US-CFTA is claimed, will be disregarded in determining whether all non-originating materials used in the production of the good undergo the applicable change in tariff classification set out in General Note 26(n), HTSUS. If the good is subject to a regional value content requirement, the value of such packaging materials and containers will be taken into account as originating or non-originating materials, as the case may be, in calculating the regional value content of the good.
§ 10.462   Packing materials and containers for shipment.
(a) Packing materials and containers for shipment, as defined in § 10.450(m), are to be disregarded in determining whether the non-originating materials used in the production of the good undergo an applicable change in tariff classification set out in General Note 26(n), HTSUS. Accordingly, such materials and containers do not have to undergo the applicable change in tariff classification even if they are non-originating.
(b) Packing materials and containers for shipment, as defined in § 10.450(m), are to be disregarded in determining the regional value content of a good imported into the United States. Accordingly, in applying either the build-down or build-up method for determining the regional value content of the good imported into the United States, the value of such packing materials and containers for shipment (whether originating or non-originating) is disregarded and not included in AV, adjusted value, VNM, value of non-originating materials, or VOM, value of originating materials.