Collapse to view only § 10.703 - Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment.

General Provisions

§ 10.701 - Scope.

This subpart implements the duty preference and related customs provisions applicable to imported goods under the United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (the US-JFTA) signed on October 24, 2000, and under the United States-Jordan Free Trade Area Implementation Act (the Act; 115 Stat. 243). 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-JFTA are contained in part 163 of this chapter.

§ 10.702 - Definitions.

The following definitions apply for purposes of §§ 10.701 through 10.712:

(a) 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-JFTA;

(b) Customs authority. “Customs authority” means the competent authority that is responsible under the law of a country for the administration of customs laws and regulations;

(c) Customs territory of the United States. “Customs territory of the United States” means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;

(d) Days. “Days” means calendar days unless otherwise specified;

(e) Entered. “Entered” means entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States;

(f) Good. “Good” means any merchandise, product, article, or material;

(g) Harmonized System. “Harmonized System” 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;

(h) Heading. “Heading” means the first four digits in the tariff classification number under the Harmonized System;

(i) HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as promulgated by the U.S. International Trade Commission;

(j) Material. “Material” means a good that is used in the production of another good;

(k) New or different article of commerce. “New or different article of commerce” means a good that has been substantially transformed into a new and different article of commerce having a new name, character, or use distinct from the good or material from which it was so transformed;

(l) Party. “Party” means the United States or the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;

(m) Preferential tariff treatment. “Preferential tariff treatment” means the duty rate applicable under the US-JFTA;

(n) Subheading. “Subheading” means the first six digits in the tariff classification number under the Harmonized System;

(o) Territory. “Territory” means:

(1) With respect to Jordan, the land, maritime and air space under its sovereignty, and the exclusive economic zone 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;

(p) 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 “the ATC”), which is part of the WTO Agreement;

(q) WTO Agreement. “WTO Agreement” means the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization of April 15, 1994;

(r) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of Jordan. “Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of Jordan” refers both to any good which has been entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in Jordan and to all materials incorporated in a good which have been entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in Jordan, as distinguished from goods or materials imported into Jordan from another country, whether or not such goods or materials were substantially transformed into new or different articles of commerce after their importation into Jordan.

Import Requirements

§ 10.703 - Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment.

An importer may make a claim for US-JFTA preferential tariff treatment by including on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the symbol “JO” 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 an authorized electronic data interchange system.

§ 10.704 - Declaration.

(a) Contents. An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment for a good under the US-JFTA must submit, at the request of the Center director, a declaration setting forth all pertinent information concerning the production or manufacture of the good. A declaration 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 (if any) of the importer of record 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 signing the declaration (if different from the information required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section);

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

(iv) The legal name, address, telephone and e-mail address (if any) of the producer of the good (if known);

(v) A description of the good, quantity, numbers, and marks of packages, invoice numbers, and bills of lading;

(vi) A description of the operations performed in the production of the good in Jordan and identification of the direct costs of processing operations;

(vii) A description of any materials used in the production of the good that are wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of Jordan or the United States, and a statement as to the cost or value of such materials;

(viii) A description of the operations performed on, and a statement as to the origin and cost or value of, any foreign materials used in the good that are claimed to have been sufficiently processed in Jordan so as to be materials produced in Jordan; and

(ix) A description of the origin and cost or value of any foreign materials used in the good that have not been substantially transformed in Jordan.

(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 these representations;

The goods comply with all the requirements for preferential tariff treatment specified for those goods in the United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement; and

This document consists of ____ pages, including all attachments.”

(b) Responsible official or agent. The declaration 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 declaration must be completed in the English language.

(d) Applicability of declaration. The declaration 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 declaration. For purposes of this paragraph, “identical goods” means goods that are the same in all respects relevant to the production that qualifies the goods for preferential tariff treatment.

§ 10.705 - Importer obligations.

(a) General. An importer who makes a claim for preferential tariff treatment under § 10.703 of this subpart:

(1) Will be deemed to have certified that the good is eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the US-JFTA:

(2) Is responsible for the truthfulness of the information and data contained in the declaration provided for in § 10.704 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. 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) Information provided by exporter or producer. The fact that the importer has made a claim for preferential tariff treatment or prepared a declaration based on information provided by an exporter or producer will not relieve the importer of the responsibility referred to in paragraph (a) of this section.

§ 10.706 - Declaration not required.

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an importer will not be required to submit a declaration under § 10.704 of this subpart for:

(1) A non-commercial importation of a good; or

(2) A commercial importation for which the value of the goods does not exceed U.S. $2,500.

(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-JFTA, the Center director will notify the importer that for that importation the importer must submit to CBP a declaration. The importer must submit such a declaration within 30 days from the date of the notice. Failure to timely submit the declaration will result in denial of the claim for preferential tariff treatment.

§ 10.707 - Maintenance of records.

(a) General. An importer claiming preferential tariff treatment for a good under § 10.703 of this subpart must maintain, for five years after the date of the claim for preferential tariff treatment, all records and documents necessary for the preparation of the declaration.

(b) Applicability of other recordkeeping requirements. The records and documents referred to in paragraph (a) of this section are in addition to any other records required to be made, kept, and made available to CBP under part 163 of this chapter.

(c) Method of maintenance. The records and documents referred to in paragraph (a) of this section must be maintained by importers as provided in § 163.5 of this chapter.

§ 10.708 - Effect of noncompliance; failure to provide documentation regarding third-country transportation.

(a) Effect of noncompliance. If the importer fails to comply with any requirement under this subpart, including submission of a complete declaration under § 10.704 of this subpart, when requested, the Center director may deny preferential tariff treatment to the imported good.

(b) Failure to provide documentation regarding third country transportation. Where the requirements for preferential tariff treatment set forth elsewhere in this subpart are met, the Center director nevertheless may deny preferential treatment to a good if the good is shipped through or transshipped in a country other than Jordan or the United States, and the importer of the good does not provide, at the request of the Center director, evidence demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Center director that the good was “imported directly”, as that term is defined in § 10.711(a) of this subpart.

Rules of Origin

§ 10.709 - Country of origin criteria.

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a good imported directly from Jordan into the customs territory of the United States will be eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the US-JFTA only if:

(1) The good is either:

(i) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of Jordan; or

(ii) A new or different article of commerce that has been grown, produced, or manufactured in Jordan; and

(2) With respect to a good described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section, the good satisfies the value-content requirement specified in § 10.710 of this subpart.

(b) Exceptions—(1) Combining, packaging, and diluting operations. No good will be considered to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section by virtue of having merely undergone simple combining or packaging operations, or mere dilution with water or mere dilution with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the good. The principles and examples set forth in § 10.195(a)(2) of this part will apply equally for purposes of this paragraph.

(2) Certain juices. A good will not be considered to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section if the good:

(i) Is imported into Jordan, and, at the time of importation, would be classified in heading 0805, HTSUS; and

(ii) Is processed in Jordan into a good classified in any of subheadings 2009.11 through 2009.30, HTSUS.

(c) Textile and apparel goods. For purposes of determining whether a textile or apparel good meets the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the provisions of § 102.21 of this chapter will apply.

§ 10.710 - Value-content requirement.

(a) General. A good described in § 10.709(a)(1)(ii) may be eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the US-JFTA only if the sum of the cost or value of the materials produced in Jordan, plus the direct costs of processing operations performed in Jordan, is not less than 35 percent of the appraised value of the good at the time it is entered.

(b) Materials produced in the United States. For purposes of determining the percentage referred to paragraph (a) of this section, an amount not to exceed 15 percent of the appraised value of the good 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. A material is “produced in the customs territory of the United States” for purposes of this paragraph if it is either:

(1) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of the United States; or

(2) Subject to the exceptions specified in § 10.709(b) of this subpart, substantially transformed in the United States into a new and different article of commerce that has a new name, character, or use, which is then used in Jordan in the production or manufacture of a new or different article of commerce that is imported into the United States. Except where the context otherwise requires, the examples set forth in § 10.196(a) of this part will apply for purposes of this paragraph.

(c) Cost or value of materials—(1) Materials produced in Jordan defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “materials produced in Jordan” refer to those materials incorporated into a good that are either:

(i) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of Jordan; or

(ii) Subject to the exceptions specified in § 10.709(b) of this subpart, substantially transformed in Jordan into a new and different article of commerce that has a new name, character, or use, which is then used in Jordan in the production or manufacture of a new or different article of commerce that is imported into the United States. Except where the context otherwise requires, the examples set forth in § 10.196(a) of this part will apply for purposes of this paragraph.

(2) Determination of cost or value of materials. (i) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, the cost or value of materials produced in Jordan or in the United States includes:

(A) The manufacturer's actual cost for the materials;

(B) 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;

(C) The actual cost of waste or spoilage, less the value of recoverable scrap; and

(D) Taxes and/or duties imposed on the materials by a Party, provided they are not remitted upon exportation.

(ii) 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:

(A) All expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the material, including general expenses;

(B) An amount for profit; and

(C) Freight, insurance, packing, and all other costs incurred in transporting the material to the manufacturer's plant.

(iii) If the pertinent information needed to compute the cost or value of a material is not available, the Center director may ascertain or estimate the value thereof using all reasonable ways and means at his or her disposal.

(d) Direct costs of processing operations—(1) Items included. For purposes of paragraph (a) 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 goods under consideration. Such costs include, but are not limited to the following, to the extent that they are includable in the appraised value of the imported goods:

(i) All actual labor costs involved in the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the specific goods, including fringe benefits, on-the-job training, and the cost of engineering, supervisory, quality control, and similar personnel;

(ii) Dies, molds, tooling, and depreciation on machinery and equipment which are allocable to the specific goods;

(iii) Research, development, design, engineering, and blueprint costs insofar as they are allocable to the specific goods; and

(iv) Costs of inspecting and testing the specific goods.

(2) Items not included. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “direct costs of processing operations” do not include items that are not directly attributable to the goods under consideration or are not costs of manufacturing the product. These include, but are not limited to:

(i) Profit; and

(ii) General expenses of doing business that either are not allocable to the specific goods or are not related to the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the goods, such as administrative salaries, casualty and liability insurance, advertising, and salesmen's salaries, commissions, or expenses.

§ 10.711 - Imported directly.

(a) General. To be eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the US-JFTA, a good must be imported directly from Jordan into the customs territory of the United States. For purposes of this requirement, the words “imported directly” mean:

(1) Direct shipment from Jordan to the United States without passing through the territory of any intermediate country;

(2) If shipment is from Jordan to the United States through the territory of an intermediate country, the goods in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or

(3) If shipment is through an intermediate country and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the goods in the shipment are imported directly only if they:

(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority in the intermediate country;

(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of a sale other than at retail, provided that the goods are imported as a result of the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and

(iii) Have not been subjected to operations other than loading and unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the goods in good condition.

(b) Documentary evidence. An importer making a claim for preferential tariff treatment under the US-JFTA may be required to demonstrate, to CBP's satisfaction, that the goods were “imported directly” as that term is defined in paragraph (a) of this section. An importer may demonstrate compliance with this section by submitting documentary evidence. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to, bills of lading, airway bills, packing lists, commercial invoices, receiving and inventory records, and customs entry and exit documents.

Origin Verifications

§ 10.712 - Verification of claim for preferential tariff treatment.

A claim for preferential tariff treatment made under § 10.703 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 for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, or is provided with insufficient information to verify or substantiate the claim, the Center director may deny the claim for preferential tariff treatment.