CBP Completes Automatic Refunds, to Begin Manual Processing of GSP Lapse Refunds
CBP has competed automatic processing of duty refunds for more than 400,000 entry lines flagged for Generalized System of Preferences benefits that were entered during the lapse in the program in early 2018, it said in CSMS message. The agency will now turn to an additional 22,000 lines that were also submitted with special program indicator (SPI) “A” at entry summary, indicating a GSP claim, but that nonetheless require manual processing. “CBP anticipates processing by the [Centers of Excellence and Expertise] to take several months,” it said.
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The agency anticipates that the “vast majority” of these 22,000 lines will be refunded, but importers that don’t receive refunds will be able to file protests once their entries have liquidated, it said. Importers with outstanding claims that believe they submitted SPI “A” on the entry line should query ACE to make sure their entries qualify and should not contact CBP for status updates, CBP said. “For importations filed without the SPI ‘A’ at entry summary, the post-importation GSP claim period expired on September 19, 2018, and no recourse remains available,” CBP said.
Refunds will not be issued where the amount due totals less than $20, CBP said. Nor will refunds be issued for imports of Argentine origin, CBP said. Lines subject to antidumping and countervailing duties will have GSP refunds issued “only upon receipt of the liquidation order from the Department of Commerce.” The lapse in the GSP program lasted from Jan. 1, 2018, through April 21, 2018 (see 1804190035).