Collapse to view only § 191.28 - Person entitled to claim drawback.

§ 191.21 - Direct identification drawback.

Section 313(a) of the Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1313(a)), provides for drawback upon the exportation, or destruction under Customs supervision, of articles which are not used in the United States prior to their exportation or destruction, and which are manufactured or produced in the United States wholly or in part with the use of particular imported, duty-paid merchandise and/or drawback product(s). Where two or more products result, drawback shall be distributed among the products in accordance with their relative value (see § 191.2(u)) at the time of separation. Merchandise may be identified for drawback purposes under 19 U.S.C. 1313(a) in the manner provided for and prescribed in § 191.14 of this part.

§ 191.22 - Substitution drawback.

(a) General. If imported, duty-paid, merchandise and any other merchandise (whether imported or domestic) of the same kind and quality are used in the manufacture or production of articles within a period not to exceed 3 years from the receipt of the imported merchandise by the manufacturer or producer of the articles, then upon the exportation, or destruction under Customs supervision, of any such articles, without their having been used in the United States prior to such exportation or destruction, drawback is provided for in § 313(b) of the Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1313(b)), even though none of the imported, duty-paid merchandise may have been used in the manufacture or production of the exported or destroyed articles. The amount of drawback allowable cannot exceed that which would have been allowable had the merchandise used therein been the imported, duty-paid merchandise. For purposes of drawback of internal revenue tax imposed under Chapters 32, 38, 51, and 52 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (IRC), drawback granted on the export or destruction of substituted merchandise will be limited to the amount of taxes paid (and not returned by refund, credit, or drawback) on the substituted merchandise.

(b) Use by same manufacturer or producer at different factory. Duty-paid merchandise or drawback products used at one factory of a manufacturer or producer within 3 years after the date on which the material was received by the manufacturer or producer may be designated as the basis for drawback on articles manufactured or produced in accordance with these regulations at other factories of the same manufacturer or producer.

(c) Designation. A manufacturer or producer may designate any eligible imported merchandise or drawback product which it has used in manufacture or production.

(d) Designation by successor; 19 U.S.C. 1313(s)—(1) General rule. Upon compliance with the requirements in this section and under 19 U.S.C. 1313(s), a drawback successor as defined in paragraph (d)(2) of this section may designate merchandise or drawback product used by a predecessor before the date of succession as the basis for drawback on articles manufactured or produced by the successor after the date of succession.

(2) Drawback successor. A “drawback successor” is a manufacturer or producer to whom another entity (predecessor) has transferred, by written agreement, merger, or corporate resolution:

(i) All or substantially all of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers, duties, and liabilities of the predecessor; or

(ii) The assets and other business interests of a division, plant, or other business unit of such predecessor, provided that the value of the transferred assets and interests (realty, personalty, and intangibles, exclusive of the drawback rights) exceeds the value of such drawback rights, whether vested or contingent.

(3) Certifications and required evidence—(i) Records of predecessor. The predecessor or successor must certify that the successor is in possession of the predecessor's records which are necessary to establish the right to drawback under the law and regulations with respect to the merchandise or drawback product.

(ii) Merchandise not otherwise designated. The predecessor or successor must certify in an attachment to the claim, that the predecessor has not designated and will not designate, nor enable any other person to designate, such merchandise or product as the basis for drawback.

(iii) Value of transferred property. In instances in which assets and other business interests of a division, plant, or other business unit of a predecessor are transferred, the predecessor or successor must specify, and maintain supporting records to establish, the value of the drawback rights and the value of all other transferred property.

(iv) Review by Customs. The written agreement, merger, or corporate resolution, provided for in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, and the records and evidence provided for in paragraph (d)(3) (i) through (iii) of this section, must be retained by the appropriate party(s) for 3 years from the date of payment of the related claim and are subject to review by Customs upon request.

(e) Multiple products—(1) General. Where two or more products are produced concurrently in a substitution manufacturing operation, drawback shall be distributed to each product in accordance with its relative value (see § 191.2(u)) at the time of separation.

(2) Claims covering a manufacturing period. Where the claim covers a manufacturing period rather than a manufacturing lot, the entire period covered by the claim is the time of separation of the products and the value per unit of product is the market value for the period (see § 191.2(u) of this part). Manufacturing periods in excess of one month may not be used without specific approval of Customs.

(3) Recordkeeping. Records shall be maintained showing the relative value of each product at the time of separation.

[T.D. 98-16, 63 FR 11006, Mar. 5, 1998, as amended by USCBP-2018-0029, 83 FR 65064, Dec. 18, 2018]

§ 191.23 - Methods of claiming drawback.

(a) Used in. Drawback may be paid based on the amount of the imported or substituted merchandise used in the manufacture of the exported article, where there is no waste or the waste is valueless or unrecoverable. This method must be used when multiple products also necessarily and concurrently result from the manufacturing process, and there is no valuable waste (see paragraph (c) of this section).

(b) Appearing in. Drawback is allowable under this method based only on the amount of imported or substituted merchandise that appears in (is contained in) the exported articles. This method may not be used if there are multiple products also necessarily and concurrently resulting from the manufacturing process.

(c) Used in less valuable waste. Drawback is allowable under this method based on the quantity of merchandise or drawback products used to manufacture the exported or destroyed article, reduced by an amount equal to the quantity of this merchandise that the value of the waste would replace. This method must be used when multiple products also necessarily and concurrently result from the manufacturing process, and there is valuable waste.

(d) Abstract or schedule. A drawback claimant may use either the abstract or schedule method to show the quantity of material used or appearing in the exported or destroyed article. An abstract is the summary of records which shows the total quantity used in or appearing in all articles produced during the period covered by the abstract. A schedule shows the quantity of material used in producing, or appearing in, each unit of product. Manufacturers or producers submitting letters of notification of intent to operate under a general manufacturing drawback ruling (see § 191.7) and applicants for approval of specific manufacturing drawback rulings (see § 191.8) shall state whether the abstract or schedule method is used; if no such statement is made, drawback claims must be based upon the abstract method.

(e) Recordkeeping—(1) Valuable waste. When the waste has a value and the drawback claim is not limited to the quantity of imported or substituted merchandise or drawback products appearing in the exported or destroyed articles claimed for drawback, the manufacturer or producer shall keep records to show the market value of the merchandise or drawback products used to manufacture or produce the exported or destroyed articles, as well as the market value of the resulting waste, under the used in less valuable waste method (see § 191.2(u) of this part).

(2) If claim for waste is waived. If claim for waste is waived, only the “appearing in” basis may be used (see paragraph (b) of this section). Waste records need not be kept unless required to establish the quantity of imported duty-paid merchandise or drawback products appearing in the exported or destroyed articles claimed for drawback.

[T.D. 98-16, 63 FR 11006, Mar. 5, 1998; 63 FR 15288, Mar. 31, 1998]

§ 191.24 - Certificate of manufacture and delivery.

(a) When required. When an article or drawback product manufactured or produced under a general manufacturing drawback ruling or a specific manufacturing drawback ruling is transferred from the manufacturer or producer to another party, a certificate of manufacture and delivery shall be prepared and certified by the manufacturer.

(b) Information required on certificate. The following information shall be required on the certificate of manufacture and delivery executed by the manufacturer or producer:

(1) The person to whom the article or drawback product is delivered;

(2) If the article or drawback product was manufactured or produced under a general manufacturing drawback ruling, the unique computer-generated number assigned to the letter of acknowledgment for that ruling, and if the article or drawback product was manufactured or produced under a specific manufacturing drawback ruling, either the unique computer number or the T.D. number for that ruling;

(3) The quantity, kind and quality of imported, duty-paid merchandise or drawback product designated;

(4) Import entry numbers, HTSUS number for the imported merchandise to at least the 6th digit (such HTSUS number shall be from the entry summary and other entry documentation for the imported, duty-paid merchandise unless the issuer of the certificate of manufacture and delivery received the merchandise under another certificate (either of delivery or of manufacture and delivery), in which case such HTSUS number shall be from the other certificate), and applicable duty amounts;

(5) Date received at factory;

(6) Date used in manufacture;

(7) Value at factory, if applicable;

(8) Quantity of waste, if any, if applicable;

(9) Market value of any waste, if applicable;

(10) Total quantity and description of merchandise appearing in or used;

(11) Total quantity and description of articles produced;

(12) Date of manufacture or production of the articles;

(13) The quantity of articles transferred; and

(14) The person from whom the article or drawback product is delivered.

(c) Filing of certificate. The certificate of manufacture and delivery shall be filed with the drawback claim it supports (unless previously filed) (see § 191.51 of this part).

(d) Effect of certificate. A certificate of manufacture and delivery documents the delivery of articles from the manufacturer or producer to another party, identifies such articles as being those to which a potential right to drawback exists, and assigns such potential rights to the transferee (see also § 191.82 of this part).

§ 191.25 - Destruction under Customs supervision.

A claimant may destroy merchandise and obtain manufacturing drawback by complying with the procedures set forth in § 191.71 of this part relating to destruction.

§ 191.26 - Recordkeeping for manufacturing drawback.

(a) Direct identification manufacturing—(1) Records required. Each manufacturer or producer under 19 U.S.C. 1313(a) shall keep records to allow the verifying Customs official to trace all articles manufactured or produced for exportation or destruction with drawback, from importation, through production, to exportation or destruction. To this end, these records shall specifically establish:

(i) The date or inclusive dates of manufacture or production;

(ii) The quantity and identity of the imported duty-paid merchandise or drawback products used in or appearing in (see § 191.23) the articles manufactured or produced;

(iii) The quantity, if any, of the nondrawback merchandise used, when these records are necessary to determine the quantity of imported duty-paid merchandise or drawback product used in the manufacture or production of the exported or destroyed articles or appearing in them;

(iv) The quantity and description of the articles manufactured or produced;

(v) The quantity of waste incurred, if applicable; and

(vi) That the finished articles on which drawback is claimed were exported or destroyed within 5 years after the importation of the duty-paid merchandise, without having been used in the United States prior to such exportation or destruction. (If the completed articles were commingled after manufacture, their identity may be maintained in the manner prescribed in § 191.14 of this part.)

(2) Accounting. The merchandise and articles to be exported or destroyed shall be accounted for in a manner which will enable the manufacturer, producer, or claimant:

(i) To determine, and the Customs official to verify, the applicable import entry, certificate of delivery, and/or certificate of manufacture and delivery associated with the claim; and

(ii) To identify with respect to that import entry, certificate of delivery, and/or certificate of manufacture and delivery, the imported duty-paid merchandise or drawback products used in manufacture or production.

(b) Substitution manufacturing. The records of the manufacturer or producer of articles manufactured or produced in accordance with 19 U.S.C. 1313(b) shall establish the facts in paragraph (a)(1)(i), (iv) through (vi) of this section, and:

(1) The quantity, identity, and specifications of the merchandise designated (imported duty-paid, or drawback product);

(2) The quantity, identity, and specifications of merchandise of the same kind and quality as the designated merchandise before its use to manufacture or produce (or appearing in) the exported or destroyed articles;

(3) That, within 3 years after receiving the designated merchandise at its plant, the manufacturer or producer used it in manufacturing or production and that during the same 3-year period it manufactured or produced the exported or destroyed articles; and

(4) If the designated merchandise is a chemical element that was contained in imported material that was subject to an ad valorem rate of duty, and a substitution drawback claim is made based on that chemical element:

(i) The duty paid on the imported material must be apportioned among its constituent components. The claim on the chemical element that is the designated merchandise must be limited to the duty apportioned to that element on a unit-for-unit attribution using the unit of measure set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) that is applicable to the imported material. If the material is a compound with other constituents, including impurities, and the purity of the compound in the imported material is shown by satisfactory analysis, that purity, converted to a decimal equivalent of the percentage, is multiplied against the entered amount of the material to establish the amount of pure compound. The amount of the element in the pure compound is to be determined by use of the atomic weights of the constituent elements and converting to the decimal equivalent of their respective percentages and multiplying that decimal equivalent against the above-determined amount of pure compound.

(ii) The amount claimed as drawback based on the chemical element must be deducted from the duty paid on the imported material that may be claimed on any other drawback claim.

Example to paragraph (b)(4):Synthetic rutile that is shown by appropriate analysis in the entry papers to be 91.7% pure titanium dioxide is imported and dutiable at a 5% ad valorem duty rate. The amount of imported synthetic rutile is 30,000 pounds with an entered value of $12,000. The total duty paid is $600. Titanium in the synthetic rutile is designated as the basis for a drawback claim under 19 U.S.C. 1313(b). The amount of titanium dioxide in the synthetic rutile is determined by converting the purity percentage (91.7%) to its decimal equivalent (.917) and multiplying the entered amount of synthetic rutile (30,000 pounds) by that decimal equivalent (.917 × 30,000 = 27,510 pounds of titanium dioxide contained in the 30,000 pounds of imported synthetic rutile). The titanium, based on atomic weight, represents 59.93% of the constituents in titanium dioxide. Multiplying that percentage, converted to its decimal equivalent, by the amount of titanium dioxide determines the titanium content of the imported synthetic rutile (.5993 × 27,510 pounds of titanium dioxide = 16,486.7 pounds of titanium contained in the imported synthetic rutile). Therefore, up to 16,486.7 pounds of titanium is available to be designated as the basis for drawback. As the per-unit duty paid on the synthetic rutile is calculated by dividing the duty paid ($600) by the amount of imported synthetic rutile (30,000 pounds), the per-unit duty is two cents of duty per pound of the imported synthetic rutile ($600 ÷ 30,000 = $0.02). The duty on the titanium is calculated by multiplying the amount of titanium contained in the imported synthetic rutile by two cents of duty per pound (16,486.7 × $0.02 = $329.73 duty apportioned to the titanium). The product is then multiplied by 99% to determine the maximum amount of drawback available ($329.73 × .99 = $326.44). If an exported titanium alloy ingot weighs 17,000 pounds, in which 16,000 pounds of titanium was used to make the ingot, drawback is determined by multiplying the duty per pound ($0.02) by the weight of the titanium contained in the ingot (16,000 pounds) to calculate the duty available for drawback ($0.02 × 16,000 = $320.00). Because only 99% of the duty can be claimed, drawback is determined by multiplying this available duty amount by 99% (.99 × $320.00 = $316.80). As the oxygen content of the titanium dioxide is 45% of the synthetic rutile, if oxygen is the designated merchandise on another drawback claim, 45% of the duty claimed on the synthetic rutile would be available for drawback based on the substitution of oxygen.

(c) Valuable waste records. When waste has a value and the manufacturer, producer, or claimant, has not limited the claims based on the quantity of imported or substituted merchandise appearing in the articles exported or destroyed, the manufacturer or producer shall keep records to show the market value of the merchandise used to manufacture or produce the exported or destroyed article, as well as the quantity and market value of the waste incurred (see § 191.2(u) of this part). In such records, the quantity of merchandise identified or designated for drawback, under 19 U.S.C. 1313(a) or 1313(b), respectively, shall be based on the quantity of merchandise actually used to manufacture or produce the exported or destroyed articles. The waste replacement reduction will be determined by reducing from the quantity of merchandise actually used the amount of merchandise which the value of the waste would replace.

(d) Purchase of manufactured articles for exportation. Where the claimant purchases articles from the manufacturer and exports them, the claimant shall file the related certificate of manufacture and delivery as part of the claim (see § 191.51(a)(1) of this part).

(e) Multiple claimants—(1) General. Multiple claimants may file for drawback with respect to the same export (for example, if an automobile is exported, where different parts of the automobile have been produced by different manufacturers under drawback conditions and the exporter waives the right to claim drawback and assigns such right to the manufacturers under § 191.82 of this part).

(2) Procedures—(i) Submission of letter. Each drawback claimant shall file a separate letter, as part of the claim, describing the component article on the export bill of lading to which each claim will relate. Each letter shall show the name of the claimant and bear a statement that the claim shall be limited to its respective component article. The exporter shall endorse the letters, as required, to show the respective interests of the claimants.

(ii) Blanket waivers and assignments of drawback rights. Exporters may waive and assign their drawback rights for all, or any portion, of their exportations with respect to a particular commodity for a given period to a drawback claimant.

(iii) Use of export summary procedure. If the parties elect to use the export summary procedure (§ 191.73 of this part) each drawback claimant shall complete a chronological summary of exports for the respective component product to which each claim will relate. Each claimant shall identify in the chronological summary the name of the other claimant(s) and the component product for which each will independently claim drawback, if known at the time the drawback claim is filed. The exporter shall endorse the summaries, as required, to show the respective interests of the claimants. Each claimant shall have on file and make available to Customs upon request, the endorsement from the exporter assigning the right to claim drawback.

(f) Retention of records. Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1508(c)(3), all records required to be kept by the manufacturer, producer, or claimant with respect to drawback claims, and records kept by others to complement the records of the manufacturer, producer, or claimant with respect to drawback claims shall be retained for 3 years after the date of payment of the related claims (under 19 U.S.C. 1508, the same records may be subject to a different retention period for different purposes).

[T.D. 98-16, 63 FR 11006, Mar. 5, 1998, as amended by T.D. 02-38, 67 FR 48370, July 24, 2002; CBP Dec. 03-23, 68 FR 50703, Aug. 22, 2003]

§ 191.27 - Time limitations.

(a) Direct identification manufacturing. Drawback shall be allowed on imported merchandise used to manufacture or produce articles that are exported or destroyed under Customs supervision within 5 years after importation of the merchandise identified to support the claim.

(b) Substitution manufacturing. Drawback shall be allowed on the imported merchandise if the following conditions are met:

(1) The designated merchandise is used in manufacture or production within 3 years after receipt by the manufacturer or producer at its factory;

(2) Within the 3-year period described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the exported or destroyed articles, or drawback products, were manufactured or produced; and

(3) The completed articles must be exported or destroyed under Customs supervision within 5 years of the date of importation of the designated merchandise, or within 5 years of the earliest date of importation associated with a drawback product.

(c) Drawback claims filed before specific or general manufacturing drawback ruling approved or acknowledged. Drawback claims may be filed before the letter of notification of intent to operate under a general manufacturing drawback ruling covering the claims is acknowledged (§ 191.7), or before the specific manufacturing drawback ruling covering the claims is approved (§ 191.8), but no drawback shall be paid until such acknowledgement or approval, as appropriate.

§ 191.28 - Person entitled to claim drawback.

The exporter (or destroyer) shall be entitled to claim drawback, unless the exporter (or destroyer), by means of a certification, assigns the right to claim drawback to the manufacturer, producer, importer, or intermediate party. Such certification shall also affirm that the exporter (or destroyer) has not and will not itself claim drawback or assign the right to claim drawback on the particular exportation or destruction to any other party. The certification provided for under this section may be a blanket certification for a stated period. Drawback is paid to the claimant, who may be the manufacturer, producer, intermediate party, importer, or exporter (destroyer).