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

In connection with a claim for NAFTA preferential tariff treatment involving non-originating textile or apparel products subject to the tariff preference level provisions of appendix 6.B to Annex 300-B of the NAFTA and Additional U.S. Notes 3 through 6 to Section XI, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, the importer must submit to CBP a Certificate of Eligibility, or its electronic equivalent, covering the products. The Certificate of Eligibility, or its electronic equivalent, must be properly completed and signed by an authorized official of the Canadian or Mexican government and must be presented to CBP at the time the claim for preferential tariff treatment is filed under § 181.21 of this chapter. If the Center director is unable to determine the country of origin of the products, they will not be entitled to preferential tariff treatment or any other benefit under the NAFTA for which they would otherwise be eligible.

(b) An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment on a good under § 181.21 of this part shall provide, at the request of the Center director, a copy of each Certificate of Origin pertaining to the good which is in the possession of the importer. A Certificate of Origin submitted to CBP under this paragraph or under § 181.32(b)(3) of this part:

(1) Shall be on CBP Form 434, or its electronic equivalent including privately-printed copies thereof, or on such other form as approved by the Canadian or Mexican customs administration, or, as an alternative to CBP Form 434 or such other approved form, in an approved computerized format or such 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 434;

(2) Shall be signed by the exporter or by the exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;

(3) Shall be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country from which the good is exported. If the Certificate is completed in a language other than English, the importer shall also provide to the Center director, upon request, a written English translation thereof;

(4) Shall be accepted by CBP for four years after the date on which the Certificate was signed by the exporter or producer; and

(i) 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

(ii) Multiple importations of identical goods into the United States that occur within a specified period, not exceeding 12 months, set out therein by the exporter or producer.

Notwithstanding any other available remedy, including the right to amend an entry so long as liquidation of the entry has not become final, 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 on that originating good was made at that time under § 181.21(a) of this part, 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 § 181.32 of this part. Subject to the provisions of § 181.23 of this part, Customs may refund any excess duties by liquidation or reliquidation of the entry covering the good in accordance with § 181.33(c) of this part.

(a) A U.S. importer who makes a corrected declaration under § 181.21(b) of this part shall not be subject to civil or administrative penalties for having made an incorrect declaration, provided that the corrected declaration was voluntarily made. In addition, civil or administrative penalties provided for under the U.S. Customs laws and regulations shall not be imposed on an exporter or producer in the United States who voluntarily provides written notification pursuant to § 181.11(d) of this part with respect to the making of an incorrect certification.