§10.583. Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment upon importation. — Inbound Citations

(a) An importer who makes a claim under § 10.583(b) of this subpart based on a certification of the importer, exporter, or producer that the good qualifies as originating must submit, at the request of the Center director, a copy of the certification. The certification:

(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 be in the possession of the importer at the time the claim for preferential tariff treatment is made if the certification forms the basis for the claim;

(i) The legal name, address, telephone, and e-mail address (if any) of the importer of record of the good, the exporter of the good (if different from the producer), and the producer of the good;

(ii) The legal name, address, telephone, and e-mail address (if any) of the responsible official or authorized agent of the importer, exporter, or producer signing the certification (if different from the information required by paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section);

(iii) 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;

(iv) 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 29(n), HTSUS; and

(v) The applicable rule of origin set forth in General Note 29, HTSUS, under which the good qualifies as an originating good; and

(a) An importer who makes a claim for preferential tariff treatment under § 10.583(b) of this subpart:

(1) Will be deemed to have certified that the good is eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the CAFTA-DR;

(2) Is responsible for the truthfulness of the claim and of all the information and data contained in the certification provided for in § 10.584 of this subpart;

(3) Is responsible for submitting any supporting documents requested by CBP, and for the truthfulness of the information contained in those documents. When a certification prepared by an exporter or producer forms the basis of a claim for preferential tariff treatment, and CBP requests the submission of supporting documents, the importer will provide to CBP, or arrange for the direct submission by the exporter or producer, all information relied on by the exporter or producer in preparing the certification.

(a) An importer claiming preferential tariff treatment for a good imported into the United States under § 10.583(b) of this subpart must maintain, for a minimum of five years after the date of importation of the good, all records and documents that the importer has demonstrating that the good qualifies for preferential tariff treatment under the CAFTA-DR. These records are in addition to any other records that the importer is required to prepare, maintain, or make available to CBP under part 163 of this chapter.

(a) A claim for preferential tariff treatment made under § 10.583(b) or § 10.591 of this subpart, including any statements or other information submitted to CBP in support of the claim, will be subject to such verification as the Center director deems necessary. In the event that the Center director is provided with insufficient information to verify or substantiate the claim, or the exporter or producer fails to consent to a verification visit, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential tariff treatment under CAFTA-DR for goods imported into the United States may be conducted by means of one or more of the following:

(1) Written requests for information from the importer, exporter, or producer;

(2) Written questionnaires to the importer, exporter, or producer;

(3) Visits to the premises of the exporter or producer in the territory of the Party in which the good is produced, to review the records of the type referred to in § 10.589(c)(1) of this subpart or to observe the facilities used in the production of the good, in accordance with the framework that the Parties develop for conducting verifications; and

(4) Such other procedures to which the United States and the exporting Party may agree.

If, as a result of an origin verification initiated under this subpart, CBP determines that a claim for preferential tariff treatment made under § 10.583(b) of this subpart should be denied, it will issue a determination in writing or via an authorized electronic data interchange system to the importer that sets forth the following:

An importer who makes a corrected claim under § 10.583(c) of this subpart will not be subject to civil or administrative penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1592 for having made an incorrect claim or having submitted an incorrect certification, provided that the corrected claim is promptly and voluntarily made.