United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, 58511-58522 [07-5062]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
Pendleton, OR, Eastern Oregon Regional
at Pendleton, ILS OR LOC/DME RWY
25, Amdt 24
Allentown, PA, Allentown/Queen City
Muni, RNAV (GPS) RWY 7, Orig
Allentown, PA, Allentown/Queen City
Muni, VOR–B, Amdt 7
Allentown, PA, Allentown/Queen City
Muni, GPS RWY 7, Orig, CANCELLED
Collegeville, PA, Perkiomen Valley,
Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle DP,
Orig
Barnwell, SC, Barnwell Rgnl, RNAV
(GPS) RWY 35, Orig
Union City, TN, Everett-Stewart, VOR/
DME–A, Amdt 8
Culpeper, VA, Culpeper Regional,
Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle DP,
Orig
New Richmond, WI, New Richmond
Regional, RNAV (GPS) RWY 14, Amdt
1
New Richmond, WI, New Richmond
Regional, RNAV (GPS) RWY 32, Amdt
1
New Richmond, WI, New Richmond
Regional, NDB RWY 14, Amdt 3
New Richmond, WI, New Richmond
Regional, Takeoff Minimums and
Obstacle DP, Orig
Prairie Du Sac, WI, Sauk-Prairie, RNAV
(GPS) RWY 18, Orig
Prairie Du Sac, WI, Sauk-Prairie, RNAV
(GPS) RWY 36, Orig
Prairie Du Sac, WI, Sauk-Prairie, Takeoff
Minimums and Obstacle DP, Orig
Charleston, WV, Yeager, RADAR–1,
Amdt 12A, CANCELLED
Hulett, WY, Hulett Muni, RNAV (GPS)–
A, Orig
Hulett, WY, Hulett Muni, Takeoff
Minimums and Obstacle DP, Orig
Jackson, WY, Jackson Hole, ILS OR LOC
Z RWY 19, Orig
Effective 14 FEB 2008
San Francisco, CA, San Francisco Intl,
RNAV (GPS) X RWY 10R, Orig-B
Clinton, MD, Washington Executive/
Hyde Field, Takeoff Minimums and
Obstacle DP, Orig
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Bureau of Customs and Border
Protection
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
19 CFR PARTS 10, 24, 102, 162, 163,
and 178
USCBP–2007–0063
CBP Dec. 07–81
RIN 1505–AB81
United States-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement
AGENCIES: Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection, Department of
Homeland Security; Department of the
Treasury.
ACTION: Interim regulations; solicitation
of comments.
SUMMARY: This document amends the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(‘‘CBP’’) regulations on an interim basis
to implement the preferential tariff
treatment and other customs-related
provisions of the United States-Bahrain
Free Trade Agreement entered into by
the United States and the Kingdom of
Bahrain.
Interim rule effective October 16,
2007; comments must be received by
December 17, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number, by one of
the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
via docket number USCBP–2007–0063.
• Mail: Trade and Commercial
Regulations Branch, Regulations and
Rulings, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW. (Mint Annex), Washington, DC
20229.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
docket number for this rulemaking. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. For
detailed instructions on submitting
comments and additional information
on the rulemaking process, see the
‘‘Public Participation’’ heading of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Submitted
comments may also be inspected during
regular business days between the hours
DATES:
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of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Trade and
Commercial Regulations Branch,
Regulations and Rulings, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, 799 9th Street,
NW. (5th Floor), Washington, DC.
Arrangements to inspect submitted
comments should be made in advance
by calling Mr. Joseph Clark at (202) 572–
8768.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Textile Operational Aspects: Robert
Abels, Office of International Trade,
(202) 344–1959.
Other Operational Aspects: Seth
Mazze, Office of International Trade,
(202) 344–2634.
Audit Aspects: Mark Hanson, Office
of International Trade, (202) 863–3065.
Legal Aspects: Holly Files, Office of
International Trade, (202) 572–8817.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation
Interested persons are invited to
participate in this rulemaking by
submitting written data, views, or
arguments on all aspects of the interim
rule. CBP also invites comments that
relate to the economic, environmental,
or federalism effects that might result
from this interim rule. Comments that
will provide the most assistance to CBP
will reference a specific portion of the
interim rule, explain the reason for any
recommended change, and include data,
information, or authority that support
such recommended change. See
ADDRESSES above for information on
how to submit comments.
Background
On September 14, 2004, the United
States and the Kingdom of Bahrain (the
‘‘Parties’’) signed the U.S.-Bahrain Free
Trade Agreement (‘‘BFTA’’ or
‘‘Agreement’’). The stated objectives of
the BFTA include creating new
employment opportunities and raising
the standard of living for the citizens of
the Parties by liberalizing and
expanding trade between them;
enhancing the competitiveness of the
enterprises of the Parties in global
markets; establishing clear and mutually
advantageous rules governing trade
between the Parties; eliminating bribery
and corruption in international trade
and investment; fostering creativity and
innovation by improving technology
and enhancing the protection and
enforcement of intellectual property
rights; strengthening the development
and enforcement of labor and
environmental laws and policies; and
establishing an expanded free trade area
in the Middle East, thereby contributing
to economic liberalization and
development in the region.
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
The provisions of the BFTA were
adopted by the United States with the
enactment of the United States-Bahrain
Free Trade Agreement Implementation
Act (the ‘‘Act’’), Public Law 109–169,
119 Stat. 3581 (19 U.S.C. 3805 note), on
January 11, 2006. Section 205 of the Act
requires that regulations be prescribed
as necessary.
On July 27, 2006, the President signed
Proclamation 8039 to implement the
provisions of the BFTA. The
proclamation, which was published in
the Federal Register on August 1, 2006
(71 FR 43635), modified the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (‘‘HTSUS’’) as set forth in
Annexes I and II of Publication 3830 of
the U.S. International Trade
Commission. The modifications to the
HTSUS included the addition of new
General Note 30, incorporating the
relevant BFTA rules of origin as set
forth in the Act, and the insertion
throughout the HTSUS of the
preferential duty rates applicable to
individual products under the BFTA
where the special program indicator
‘‘BH’’ appears in parenthesis in the
‘‘Special’’ rate of duty subcolumn. The
modifications to the HTSUS also
included a new Subchapter XIV to
Chapter 99 to provide for temporary
tariff rate quotas and applicable
safeguards implemented by the BFTA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(‘‘CBP’’) is responsible for administering
the provisions of the BFTA and the Act
that relate to the importation of goods
into the United States from Bahrain.
Those customs-related BFTA provisions
that require implementation through
regulation include certain tariff and
non-tariff provisions within Chapter
One (Initial Provisions and Definitions),
Chapter Two (National Treatment and
Market Access for Goods), Chapter
Three (Textiles and Apparel), Chapter
Four (Rules of Origin), and Chapter Five
(Customs Administration).
These implementing regulations
incorporate certain general definitions
set forth in Article 1.3 of the BFTA.
These regulations also implement
Article 2.6 (Goods Re-entered After
Repair or Alteration) of Chapter Two of
the BFTA.
Chapter Three of the BFTA sets forth
the measures relating to trade in textile
and apparel goods between Bahrain and
the United States under the BFTA. The
provisions within Chapter Three that
require regulatory action by CBP are
Article 3.2 (Rules of Origin and Related
Matters), Article 3.3 (Customs
Cooperation), and Article 3.4
(Definitions).
Chapter Four of the BFTA sets forth
the rules for determining whether an
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imported good qualifies as an
originating good of the United States or
Bahrain (BFTA Party) and, as such, is
therefore eligible for preferential tariff
(duty-free or reduced duty) treatment as
specified in the Agreement. Under
Article 4.1, originating goods may be
grouped in three broad categories: (1)
Goods that are wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both
of the Parties; (2) goods (other than
those covered by the product-specific
rules set forth in Annex 3–A or Annex
4–A) that are new or different articles of
commerce that have been grown,
produced, or manufactured in the
territory of one or both of the Parties,
and that have a minimum value-content,
i.e., at least 35 percent of the good’s
appraised value must be attributed to
the cost or value of materials produced
in one or both of the Parties plus the
direct costs of processing operations
performed in one or both of the Parties;
and (3) goods that satisfy the productspecific rules set forth in Annex 3–A
(textile or apparel goods) or Annex 4–
A (certain non-textile or non-apparel
goods).
Article 4.2 explains that the term
‘‘new or different article of commerce’’
means a good that has been
substantially transformed from a good or
material that is not wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both
of the Parties and that has a new name,
character, or use distinct from the good
or material from which it was
transformed. Article 4.3 provides that a
good will not be considered to be a new
or different article of commerce as the
result of undergoing simple combining
or packaging operations, or mere
dilution with water or another
substance that does not materially alter
the characteristics of the good.
Article 4.4 provides for the
accumulation of production in the
territory of one or both of the Parties in
determining whether a good qualifies as
originating under the BFTA. Articles 4.5
and 4.6 set forth the rules for calculating
the value of materials and the direct
costs of processing operations,
respectively, for purposes of
determining whether a good satisfies the
35 percent value-content requirement.
Articles 4.7 through 4.9 consist of
additional sub-rules applicable to
originating goods, involving retail
packaging materials, packing materials
for shipment, indirect materials, and
transit and transshipment. In addition,
Articles 4.10 and 4.11 set forth the
procedural requirements that apply
under the BFTA, in particular with
regard to importer claims for
preferential tariff treatment. Article 4.14
provides definitions of certain terms
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used in Chapter Four of the BFTA. The
basic rules of origin in Chapter Four of
the BFTA are set forth in General Note
30, HTSUS.
Chapter Five sets forth the customs
operational provisions related to the
implementation and administration of
the BFTA.
In order to provide transparency and
facilitate their use, the majority of the
BFTA implementing regulations set
forth in this document have been
included within new Subpart N in Part
10 of the CBP regulations (19 CFR Part
10). However, in those cases in which
BFTA implementation is more
appropriate in the context of an existing
regulatory provision, the BFTA
regulatory text has been incorporated in
an existing Part within the CBP
regulations. In addition, this document
sets forth several cross-references and
other consequential changes to existing
regulatory provisions to clarify the
relationship between those existing
provisions and the new BFTA
implementing regulations. The
regulatory changes are discussed below
in the order in which they appear in this
document.
Discussion of Amendments
Part 10
Section 10.31(f) concerns temporary
importations under bond. It is amended
by adding references to certain goods
originating in Bahrain for which, like
goods originating in Canada, Mexico,
Singapore, Chile, and Morocco, no bond
or other security will be required when
imported temporarily for prescribed
uses. The provisions of BFTA Article
2.5 (temporary admission of goods) are
already reflected in existing temporary
importation bond or other provisions
contained in Part 10 of the CBP
regulations and in Chapter 98 of the
HTSUS.
Part 10, Subpart N
General Provisions
Section 10.801 outlines the scope of
new Subpart N, Part 10. This section
also clarifies that, except where the
context otherwise requires, the
requirements contained in Subpart N,
Part 10 are in addition to general
administrative and enforcement
provisions set forth elsewhere in the
CBP regulations. Thus, for example, the
specific merchandise entry
requirements contained in Subpart N,
Part 10 are in addition to the basic entry
requirements contained in Parts 141–
143 of the CBP regulations.
Section 10.802 sets forth definitions
of common terms used in multiple
contexts or places within Subpart N,
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Part 10. Although the majority of the
definitions in this section are based on
definitions contained in Article 1.3 of
the BFTA and § 3 of the Act, other
definitions have also been included to
clarify the application of the regulatory
texts. Additional definitions which
apply in a more limited Subpart N, Part
10 context are set forth elsewhere with
the substantive provisions to which they
relate.
Import Requirements
Section 10.803 sets forth the
procedure for claiming BFTA tariff
benefits at the time of entry.
Section 10.804, as provided in BFTA
Article 4.10(b), requires a U.S. importer,
upon request, to submit a declaration
setting forth all pertinent information
concerning the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good. Included in
§ 10.804 is a provision that the
declaration may be used either for a
single importation or for multiple
importations of identical goods.
Section 10.805 sets forth certain
importer obligations regarding the
truthfulness of information and
documents submitted in support of a
claim for preferential tariff treatment
under the BFTA. As provided in BFTA
Article 4.10(a), this section states that a
U.S. importer who makes a claim for
preferential tariff treatment for a good is
deemed to have certified that the good
qualifies for such treatment.
Section 10.806 provides that the
importer’s declaration is not required
for certain non-commercial or low-value
importations.
Section 10.807 implements the
portion of BFTA Article 4.10 concerning
the maintenance of records necessary
for the preparation of the declaration.
Section 10.808, which is based on
BFTA Article 4.11.1, provides for the
denial of BFTA tariff benefits if the
importer fails to comply with any of the
requirements of Subpart N, Part 10, CBP
regulations.
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Rules of Origin
Sections 10.809 through 10.817
provide the implementing regulations
regarding the rules of origin provisions
of General Note 30, HTSUS, Article 3.2
and Chapter Four of the BFTA, and
§ 202 of the Act.
Definitions
Section 10.809 sets forth terms that
are defined for purposes of the rules of
origin. CBP notes that, pursuant to
letters of understanding exchanged
between the Parties on September 14,
2004, in determining whether a good
meets the definition of a ‘‘new or
different article of commerce’’ in
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paragraph (i) of § 10.809, the United
States should be guided by the
provisions of Part 102 of the CBP
regulations (19 CFR Part 102).
General Rules of Origin
Section 10.810 includes the basic
rules of origin established in Article 4.1
of the BFTA, section 202(b) of the Act,
and General Note 30(b), HTSUS.
Paragraph (a) of § 10.810 sets forth the
three basic categories of goods that are
considered originating goods under the
BFTA. Paragraph (a)(1) of § 10.810
specifies those goods that are
considered originating goods because
they are wholly the growth, product, or
manufacture of one or both of the
Parties. Paragraph (a)(2) provides that
goods are considered originating goods
if they: (1) Are new or different articles
of commerce that have been grown,
produced, or manufactured in the
territory of one or both of the Parties as
determined by application of the
provisions of § 102.1 through § 102.21 of
the CBP regulations (19 CFR
102.1 102.21); (2) are classified in
HTSUS provisions that are not covered
by the product-specific rules set forth in
General Note 30(h), HTSUS; and (3)
meet a 35 percent domestic-content
requirement. Finally, paragraph (a)(3)
states that goods are considered
originating goods if: (1) They are
classified in HTSUS provisions that are
covered by the product-specific rules set
forth in General Note 30(h), HTSUS; (2)
each non-originating material used in
the production of the good in the
territory of one or both of the Parties
undergoes an applicable change in tariff
classification or otherwise satisfies the
requirements specified in General Note
30(h), HTSUS; and (3) the goods meet
any other requirements specified in
General Note 30, HTSUS.
Paragraph (b) of § 10.810 sets forth the
basic rules that apply for purposes of
determining whether a good satisfies the
35 percent domestic-content
requirement referred to in § 10.810(a)(2).
Paragraph (c) of § 10.810 implements
Article 4.3 of the BFTA, relating to the
simple combining or packaging or mere
dilution exceptions to the ‘‘new or
different article of commerce’’
requirement of § 10.810(a)(2). Since the
language in Article 4.3 of the BFTA (and
§ 202(i)(7)(B) of the Act) is nearly
identical to the language found in
§ 213(a)(2) of the Caribbean Basin
Economic Recovery Act (‘‘CBERA’’) (19
U.S.C. 2703(a)(2)), § 10.810(c)
incorporates by reference the examples
and principles set forth in § 10.195(a)(2)
of CBP’s implementing CBERA
regulations.
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Originating Textile or Apparel Goods
Section 10.811(a), as provided for in
Article 3.2.6 of the BFTA, sets forth a de
minimis rule for certain textile or
apparel goods that may be considered to
qualify as originating goods even though
they fail to satisfy the applicable change
in tariff classification set out in General
Note 30(h). This paragraph also includes
an exception to the de minimis rule.
Section 10.811(b), which is based on
Article 3.2.7 of the BFTA, sets forth a
special rule for textile or apparel goods
classifiable under General Rule of
Interpretation 3, HTSUS, as goods put
up in sets for retail sale.
Accumulation
Section 10.812, which is derived from
BFTA Article 4.4, sets forth the rule by
which originating goods or materials
from the territory of a Party that are
used in the production of a good in the
territory of the other Party will be
considered to originate in the territory
of such other Party. In addition, this
section also establishes that a good or
material that is produced by one or
more producers in the territory of one or
both of the Parties is an originating good
or material if the article satisfies all of
the applicable requirements of the rules
of origin of the BFTA.
Value of Materials
Section 10.813 implements Article 4.5
of the BFTA, relating to the calculation
of the value of materials that may be
applied toward satisfaction of the 35
percent value-content requirement.
Direct Costs of Processing Operations
Section 10.814, which reflects Article
4.6 of the BFTA, sets forth provisions
regarding the calculation of direct costs
of processing operations for purposes of
the 35 percent value-content
requirement.
Packaging and Packing Materials and
Containers for Retail Sale and for
Shipment
Section 10.815 is based on Article 4.7
of the BFTA and provides that retail
packaging materials and packing
materials for shipment are to be
disregarded in determining whether a
good qualifies as originating under the
BFTA, except to the extent that the
value of such packaging and packing
materials may be included for purposes
of meeting the 35 percent value-content
requirement.
Indirect Materials
Section 10.816, which is derived from
Article 4.8 of the BFTA, provides that
indirect materials will be disregarded in
determining whether a good qualifies as
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an originating good under the BFTA,
except to the extent that the cost of such
indirect materials may be included
toward satisfying the 35 percent valuecontent requirement.
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Imported Directly
Section 10.817(a) sets forth the basic
rule, found in Article 4.1 of the BFTA,
that a good must be imported directly
from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party to qualify as
an originating good under the BFTA.
This paragraph further provides that, as
set forth in Article 4.9 of the BFTA, a
good will not be considered to be
imported directly if, after exportation
from the territory of a Party, the good
undergoes production, manufacturing,
or any other operation outside the
territories of the Parties, other than
certain minor operations.
Paragraph (b) of § 10.817 provides that
an importer making a claim for
preferential tariff treatment under the
BFTA may be required to demonstrate,
through the submission of documentary
evidence, that the ‘‘imported directly’’
requirement was satisfied.
Tariff Preference Level
Section 10.818 sets forth the
procedures for claiming BFTA tariff
benefits for non-originating fabric,
apparel, or made-up goods entitled to
preference under an applicable tariff
preference level (‘‘TPL’’).
Section 10.819, which is based on
Articles 3.2.8(a) through 3.2.8(d),
describes the non-originating fabric,
apparel, and made-up goods that are
eligible for TPL claims under the BFTA.
Section 10.820 is based on Article
3.2.10 of the BFTA and establishes that,
at the written request of the Government
of Bahrain, CBP will require an importer
claiming preferential treatment on a
non-originating cotton or man-made
fiber good specified in § 10.819 to
submit a certificate of eligibility.
Section 10.821 reflects Article 3.2.11
of the BFTA. Paragraph (a) of § 10.821
provides that an importer claiming
preferential treatment on a nonoriginating cotton or man-made fiber
good specified in § 10.819 must submit,
at the request of the port director, a
declaration setting forth all pertinent
production information. Paragraph (b) of
§ 10.821 requires that an importer must
retain all records relied upon to prepare
the declaration for a period of five years.
Section 10.822 establishes that nonoriginating fabric or apparel goods are
entitled to preferential tariff treatment
under an applicable TPL only if they are
imported directly from the territory of a
Party into the territory of the other
Party.
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Section 10.823 provides for the denial
of a TPL claim if the importer fails to
comply with any applicable
requirement under Subpart N, Part 10,
CBP regulations, including the failure to
provide documentation, when requested
by CBP, establishing that the good was
imported directly from the territory of a
Party into the territory of the other
Party.
Origin Verifications and Determinations
Sections 10.824 implements BFTA
Article 4.11.2 by providing that a claim
for BFTA preferential tariff treatment,
including any information submitted in
support of the claim, will be subject to
such verification as CBP deems
necessary. This section further sets forth
the circumstances under which a claim
may be denied based on the results of
the verification.
Section 10.825 implements BFTA
Article 4.11.3 by providing that CBP
will issue a determination to the
importer when CBP determines that a
claim for BFTA preferential tariff
treatment should be denied based on the
results of a verification. This section
also prescribes the information required
to be included in the determination.
Penalties
Section 10.826 concerns the general
application of penalties to BFTA
transactions and is based on BFTA
Article 5.9.
Goods Returned After Repair or
Alteration
Section 10.827 implements BFTA
Article 2.6 regarding duty treatment of
goods re-entered after repair or
alteration in Bahrain.
Part 24
A paragraph is added to § 24.23(c),
which concerns the merchandise
processing fee (MPF) to implement
§ 203 of the Act, providing that the MPF
is not applicable to goods that qualify as
originating goods as provided for under
§ 202 of the Act.
Part 102
Part 102 contains regulations
regarding the rules for determining the
country of origin of imported goods for
various purposes. Section 102.0, which
sets forth the scope of Part 102, is
amended to notify readers that the rules
of §§ 102.1 through 102.21 will be used
for purposes of determining whether a
good is considered a new and different
article of commerce under the BFTA.
Part 162
Part 162 contains regulations
regarding the inspection and
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examination of, among other things,
imported merchandise. A crossreference is added to § 162.0, which is
the scope section of the part, to refer
readers to the additional BFTA records
maintenance and examination
provisions contained in new Subpart N,
Part 10, CBP regulations.
Part 163
A conforming amendment is made to
§ 163.1 to include the maintenance of
any documentation that the importer
may have in support of a claim for
preference under the BFTA as an
activity for which records must be
maintained. Also, the list or records and
information required for the entry of
merchandise appearing in the Appendix
to Part 163 (commonly known as the
(a)(1)(A) list)) is also amended to add
the BFTA records that the importer may
have in support of a BFTA claim for
preferential tariff treatment.
Part 178
Part 178 sets forth the control
numbers assigned to information
collections of CBP by the Office of
Management and Budget, pursuant to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. The list contained
in § 178.2 is amended to add the
information collections used by CBP to
determine eligibility for a tariff
preference or other rights or benefits
under the BFTA and the Act.
Inapplicability of Notice and Delayed
Effective Date Requirements
Under section 553 of the
Administrative Procedure Act (‘‘APA’’)
(5 U.S.C. 553), agencies amending their
regulations generally are required to
publish a notice of proposed rulemaking
in the Federal Register that solicits
public comment on the proposed
amendments, consider public comments
in deciding on the final content of the
final amendments, and publish the final
amendments at least 30 days prior to
their effective date. However, section
553(a)(1) of the APA provides that the
standard prior notice and comment
procedures do not apply to an agency
rulemaking that involves the foreign
affairs function of the United States.
CBP has determined that these interim
regulations involve a foreign affairs
function of the United States, as they
implement preferential tariff treatment
and related provisions of the BFTA.
Therefore, the rulemaking requirements
under the APA do not apply and this
interim rule will be effective upon
publication. However, CBP is soliciting
comments in this interim rule and will
consider all comments it receives before
issuing a final rule.
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Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory
Flexibility Act
CBP has determined that this
document is not a regulation or rule
subject to the provisions of Executive
Order 12866 of September 30, 1993 (58
FR 51735, October 1993), because it
pertains to a foreign affairs function of
the United States and implements an
international agreement, as described
above, and therefore is specifically
exempted by section 3(d)(2) of
Executive Order 12866. Because a notice
of proposed rulemaking is not required
under section 553(b) of the APA for the
reasons described above, CBP notes that
the provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act, as amended (5 U.S.C.
601 et seq.), do not apply to this
rulemaking. Accordingly, CBP also
notes that this interim rule is not subject
to the regulatory analysis requirements
or other requirements of 5 U.S.C. 603
and 604.
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Paperwork Reduction Act
These regulations are being issued
without prior notice and public
procedure pursuant to the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.
553). For this reason, the collections of
information contained in these
regulations have been reviewed and,
pending receipt and evaluation of
public comments, approved by the
Office of Management and Budget in
accordance with the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3507) under control number 1651–0130.
The collections of information in
these regulations are in §§ 10.803,
10.804, 10.818, and 10.821. This
information is required in connection
with claims for preferential tariff
treatment and for the purpose of the
exercise of other rights under the BFTA
and the Act and will be used by CBP to
determine eligibility for a tariff
preference or other rights or benefits
under the BFTA and the Act. The likely
respondents are business organizations
including importers, exporters and
manufacturers.
Estimated total annual reporting
burden: 100 hours.
Estimated average annual burden per
respondent: 12 minutes.
Estimated number of respondents:
500.
Estimated annual frequency of
responses: 1.
Comments concerning the collections
of information and the accuracy of the
estimated annual burden, and
suggestions for reducing that burden,
should be directed to the Office of
Management and Budget, Attention:
Desk Officer for the Department of the
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Treasury, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC
20503. A copy should also be sent to the
Trade and Commercial Regulations
Branch, Regulations and Rulings, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, 1300
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (Mint
Annex), Washington, DC 20229.
Signing Authority
This document is being issued in
accordance with § 0.1(a)(1) of the CBP
Regulations (19 CFR 0.1(a)(1))
pertaining to the authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury (or his/her
delegate) to approve regulations related
to certain customs revenue functions.
List of Subjects
19 CFR Part 10
Alterations, Bonds, Customs duties
and inspection, Exports, Imports,
Preference programs, Repairs, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Trade
agreements.
19 CFR Part 24
Financial and accounting procedures.
19 CFR Part 102
Customs duties and inspections,
Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Rules of origin, Trade
agreements.
19 CFR Part 162
Administrative practice and
procedure, Customs duties and
inspection, Penalties, Trade agreements.
19 CFR Part 163
58515
United States), 1321, 1481, 1484, 1498, 1508,
1623, 1624, 3314;
*
*
*
*
*
Sections 10.801 through 10.829 also
issued under 19 U.S.C. 1202 (General
Note 30, HTSUS) and Pub. L. 109–169,
119 Stat. 3581 (19 U.S.C. 3805 note).
2. In § 10.31, paragraph (f), the last
sentence is revised to read as follows:
I
§ 10.31
Entry; bond.
*
*
*
*
*
(f) * * * In addition, notwithstanding
any other provision of this paragraph, in
the case of professional equipment
necessary for carrying out the business
activity, trade or profession of a
business person, equipment for the
press or for sound or television
broadcasting, cinematographic
equipment, articles imported for sports
purposes and articles intended for
display or demonstration, if brought
into the United States by a resident of
Canada, Mexico, Chile, Singapore,
Morocco, or Bahrain and entered under
Chapter 98, Subchapter XIII, HTSUS, no
bond or other security will be required
if the entered article is a good
originating, within the meaning of
General Notes 12, 25, 26, 27 and 30,
HTSUS, in the country of which the
importer is a resident.
*
*
*
*
*
3. Part 10, CBP regulations, is
amended by adding Subpart N to read
as follows:
I
Subpart N—United States-Bahrain Free
Trade Agreement
Administrative practice and
procedure, Customs duties and
inspection, Export, Import, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Trade
agreements.
General Provisions
19 CFR Part 178
10.803 Filing of claim for preferential tariff
treatment upon importation.
10.804 Declaration.
10.805 Importer obligations.
10.806 Declaration not required.
10.807 Maintenance of records.
10.808 Effect of noncompliance; failure to
provide documentation regarding
transshipment.
Administrative practice and
procedure, Exports, Imports, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
Amendments to the CBP Regulations
Accordingly, chapter I of title 19,
Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR
chapter I), is amended as set forth
below.
I
PART 10—ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY
FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED
RATE, ETC.
1. The general authority citation for
Part 10 continues to read, and the
specific authority for new Subpart N is
added to read as follows:
I
Authority: 19 U.S.C. 66, 1202 (General
Note 3(i), Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
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Sec.
10.801
10.802
Scope.
General definitions.
Import Requirements
Rules of Origin
10.809 Definitions.
10.810 Originating goods.
10.811 Textile or apparel goods.
10.812 Accumulation.
10.813 Value of materials.
10.814 Direct costs of processing
operations.
10.815 Packaging and packing materials
and containers for retail sale and for
shipment.
10.816 Indirect materials.
10.817 Imported directly.
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Tariff Preference Level
10.818 Filing of claim for tariff preference
level.
10.819 Goods eligible for tariff preference
claims.
10.820 Certificate of eligibility.
10.821 Declaration.
10.822 Transshipment of non-originating
fabric or apparel goods.
10.823 Effect of non-compliance; failure to
provide documentation regarding
transshipment of non-originating fabric
or apparel goods.
Origin Verifications and Determinations
10.824 Verification and justification of
claim for preferential treatment.
10.825 Issuance of negative origin
determinations.
Penalties
10.826 Violations relating to the BFTA.
Goods Returned After Repair or Alteration
10.827 Goods re-entered after repair or
alteration in Bahrain.
Subpart N—United States-Bahrain Free
Trade Agreement
General Provisions
§ 10.801
Scope.
This subpart implements the duty
preference and related customs
provisions applicable to imported goods
under the United States-Bahrain Free
Trade Agreement (the BFTA) signed on
September 14, 2004, and under the
United States-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement Implementation Act (the
Act; 119 Stat. 3581). 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
BFTA and the Act are contained in Parts
24, 102, 162, and 163 of this chapter.
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§ 10.802
General definitions.
As used in this subpart, the following
terms will have the meanings indicated
unless either the context in which they
are used requires a different meaning or
a different definition is prescribed for a
particular section of this subpart:
(a) Claim of origin. ‘‘Claim of origin’’
means a claim that a good is an
originating good or a good of a Party;
(b) 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 BFTA to an originating good
or other good specified in the BFTA,
and to an exemption from the
merchandise processing fee;
(c) Customs Valuation Agreement.
‘‘Customs Valuation Agreement’’ means
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Jkt 214001
the Agreement on Implementation of
Article VII of the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade 1994, which is part of
the WTO Agreement;
(d) Customs duty. ‘‘Customs duty’’
includes any customs or import duty
and a charge of any kind imposed in
connection with the importation of a
good, including any form of surtax or
surcharge in connection with such
importation, but does not include any:
(1) Charge equivalent to an internal
tax imposed consistently with Article
III:2 of the GATT 1994; in respect of
like, directly competitive, or
substitutable goods of the Party, or in
respect of goods from which the
imported good has been manufactured
or produced in whole or in part;
(2) Antidumping or countervailing
duty; and
(3) Fee or other charge in connection
with importation commensurate with
the cost of services rendered;
(e) Days. ‘‘Days’’ means calendar days;
(f) Enterprise. ‘‘Enterprise’’ means any
entity constituted or organized under
applicable law, whether or not for
profit, and whether privately-owned or
governmentally-owned, including any
corporation, trust, partnership, sole
proprietorship, joint venture, or other
association;
(g) Foreign material. ‘‘Foreign
material’’ means a material other than a
material produced in the territory of one
or both of the Parties;
(h) GATT 1994. ‘‘GATT 1994’’ means
the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade 1994, which is part of the WTO
Agreement;
(i) Good. ‘‘Good’’ means any
merchandise, product, article, or
material;
(j) Harmonized System. ‘‘Harmonized
System (HS)’’ 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;
(k) Heading. ‘‘Heading’’ means the
first four digits in the tariff classification
number under the Harmonized System;
(l) HTSUS. ‘‘HTSUS’’ means the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States as promulgated by the
U.S. International Trade Commission;
(m) Originating. ‘‘Originating’’ means
a good qualifying under the rules of
origin set forth in General Note 30,
HTSUS, and BFTA Chapter Three
(Textiles and apparel) or Chapter Four
(Rules of Origin);
(n) Party. ‘‘Party’’ means the United
States or the Kingdom of Bahrain;
(o) Person. ‘‘Person’’ means a natural
person or an enterprise;
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(p) Preferential tariff treatment.
‘‘Preferential tariff treatment’’ means the
duty rate applicable under the BFTA to
an originating good and an exemption
from the merchandise processing fee;
(q) Subheading. ‘‘Subheading’’ means
the first six digits in the tariff
classification number under the
Harmonized System;
(r) 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;
(s) Territory. ‘‘Territory’’ means:
(1) With respect to Bahrain, the
territory of Bahrain as well as the
maritime areas, seabed, and subsoil over
which Bahrain exercises, in accordance
with international law, sovereignty,
sovereign rights, and jurisdiction; 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; and
(t) WTO Agreement. ‘‘WTO
Agreement’’ means the Marrakesh
Agreement Establishing the World Trade
Organization of April 15, 1994.
Import Requirements
§ 10.803 Filing of claim for preferential
tariff treatment upon importation.
An importer may make a claim for
BFTA preferential tariff treatment for an
originating good by including on the
entry summary, or equivalent
documentation, the symbol ‘‘BH’’ 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.
§ 10.804
Declaration.
(a) Contents. An importer who claims
preferential tariff treatment for a good
under the BFTA must submit to CBP, at
the request of the port director, a
declaration setting forth all pertinent
information concerning the growth,
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
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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, which
must be sufficiently detailed to relate it
to the invoice and HS nomenclature,
including quantity, numbers, invoice
numbers, and bills of lading;
(vi) A description of the operations
performed in the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good in territory of
one or both of the Parties and, where
applicable, identification of the direct
costs of processing operations;
(vii) A description of any materials
used in the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good that are wholly
the growth, product, or manufacture of
one or both of the Parties, and a
statement as to the value of such
materials;
(viii) A description of the operations
performed on, and a statement as to the
origin and value of, any materials used
in the article that are claimed to have
been sufficiently processed in the
territory of one or both of the Parties so
as to be materials produced in one or
both of the Parties, or are claimed to
have undergone an applicable change in
tariff classification specified in General
Note 30(h), HTSUS; and
(ix) A description of the origin and
value of any foreign materials used in
the good that have not been
substantially transformed in the
territory of one or both of the Parties, or
have not undergone an applicable
change in tariff classification specified
in General Note 30(h), HTSUS;
(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;
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The goods comply with all the
requirements for preferential tariff treatment
specified for those goods in the United
States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement; and
This document consists of lll 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.
§ 10.805
Importer obligations.
(a) General. An importer who makes
a claim for preferential tariff treatment
under § 10.803 of this subpart:
(1) Will be deemed to have certified
that the good is eligible for preferential
tariff treatment under the BFTA:
(2) Is responsible for the truthfulness
of the information and data contained in
the declaration provided for in § 10.804
of this subpart; and
(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.
§ 10.806
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 § 10.804
of this subpart for:
(1) A non-commercial importation of
a good; or
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58517
(2) A commercial importation for
which the value of the originating goods
does not exceed U.S. $2,500.
(b) Exception. If the port 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 BFTA, the port
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.
§ 10.807
Maintenance of records.
(a) General. An importer claiming
preferential tariff treatment for a good
under § 10.803 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.
§ 10.808 Effect of noncompliance; failure
to provide documentation regarding
transshipment.
(a) General. If the importer fails to
comply with any requirement under this
subpart, including submission of a
complete declaration under § 10.804 of
this subpart, when requested, the port
director may deny preferential tariff
treatment to the imported good.
(b) Failure to provide documentation
regarding transshipment. Where the
requirements for preferential tariff
treatment set forth elsewhere in this
subpart are met, the port director
nevertheless may deny preferential
treatment to a good if the good is
shipped through or transshipped in the
territory of a country other than a Party,
and the importer of the good does not
provide, at the request of the port
director, evidence demonstrating to the
satisfaction of the port director that the
good was imported directly from the
territory of a Party into the territory of
the other Party (see § 10.817 of this
subpart).
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§ 10.809
Definitions.
For purposes of §§ 10.809 through
10.817:
(a) Exporter. ‘‘Exporter’’ means a
person who exports goods from the
territory of a Party;
(b) Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles. ‘‘Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles’’ means the
recognized consensus or substantial
authoritative support in the territory of
a Party, with respect to the recording of
revenues, expenses, costs, assets, and
liabilities, the disclosure of information,
and the preparation of financial
statements. These standards may
encompass broad guidelines of general
application as well as detailed
standards, practices, and procedures;
(c) Good. ‘‘Good’’ means any
merchandise, product, article, or
material;
(d) Goods wholly the growth, product,
or manufacture of one or both of the
Parties. ‘‘Goods wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both
of the Parties’’ means:
(1) Mineral goods extracted in the
territory of one or both of the Parties;
(2) Vegetable goods, as such goods are
defined in the HTSUS, harvested in the
territory of one or both of the Parties;
(3) Live animals born and raised in
the territory of one or both of the
Parties;
(4) Goods obtained from live animals
raised in the territory of one or both of
the Parties;
(5) Goods obtained from hunting,
trapping, or fishing in the territory of
one or both of the parties;
(6) Goods (fish, shellfish, and other
marine life) taken from the sea by
vessels registered or recorded with a
party and flying its flag;
(7) Goods produced from goods
referred to in paragraph (d)(5) of this
section on board factory ships registered
or recorded with that Party and flying
its flag;
(8) Goods taken by a Party or a person
of a Party from the seabed or beneath
the seabed outside territorial waters,
provided that a Party has rights to
exploit such seabed;
(9) Goods taken from outer space,
provided they are obtained by a Party or
a person of a Party and not processed in
the territory of a non-Party;
(10) Waste and scrap derived from:
(i) Production or manufacture in the
territory of one or both of the Parties, or
(ii) Used goods collected in the
territory of one or both of the Parties,
provided such goods are fit only for the
recovery of raw materials;
(11) Recovered goods derived in the
territory of a Party from used goods, and
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utilized in the territory of that Party in
the production of remanufactured
goods; and
(12) Goods produced in the territory
of one or both of the Parties exclusively
from goods referred to in paragraphs
(d)(1) through (d)(10) of this section, or
from their derivatives, at any stage of
production;
(e) Importer. Importer means a person
who imports goods into the territory of
a Party;
(f) Indirect material. ‘‘Indirect
material’’ means a good used in the
growth, production, manufacture,
testing, or inspection of a good but not
physically incorporated into the good,
or a good used in the maintenance of
buildings or the operation of equipment
associated with the growth, production,
or manufacture of a good, including:
(1) Fuel and energy;
(2) Tools, dies, and molds;
(3) Spare parts and materials used in
the maintenance of equipment and
buildings;
(4) Lubricants, greases, compounding
materials, and other materials used in
the growth, production, or manufacture
of a good or used to operate equipment
and buildings;
(5) Gloves, glasses, footwear, clothing,
safety equipment, and supplies;
(6) Equipment, devices, and supplies
used for testing or inspecting the good;
(7) Catalysts and solvents; and
(8) Any other goods that are not
incorporated into the good but the use
of which in the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good can reasonably
be demonstrated to be a part of that
growth, production, or manufacture;
(g) Material. ‘‘Material’’ means a good,
including a part or ingredient, that is
used in the growth, production, or
manufacture of another good that is a
new or different article of commerce
that has been grown, produced, or
manufactured in one or both of the
Parties;
(h) Material produced in the territory
of one or both of the Parties. ‘‘Material
produced in the territory of one or both
of the Parties’’ means a good that is
either wholly the growth, product, or
manufacture of one or both of the
Parties, or a new or different article of
commerce that has been grown,
produced, or manufactured in the
territory of one or both of the Parties;
(i) New or different article of
commerce. A ‘‘new or different article of
commerce’’ exists when the country of
origin of a good which is produced in
a Party from foreign materials is
determined to be that country under the
provisions of §§ 102.1 through 102.21 of
this chapter;
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(j) Non-originating material. ‘‘Nonoriginating material’’ means a material
that does not qualify as originating
under this subpart or General Note 30,
HTSUS;
(k) Packing materials and containers
for shipment. ‘‘Packing materials and
containers for shipment’’ means the
goods used to protect a good during its
transportation to the United States, and
does not include the packaging
materials and containers in which a
good is packaged for retail sale;
(l) Recovered goods. ‘‘Recovered
goods’’ means materials in the form of
individual parts that result from:
(1) The complete disassembly of used
goods into individual parts; and
(2) The cleaning, inspecting, testing,
or other processing of those parts as
necessary for improvement to sound
working condition;
(m) Remanufactured good.
‘‘Remanufactured good’’ means an
industrial good that is assembled in the
territory of a Party and that:
(1) Is entirely or partially comprised
of recovered goods;
(2) Has a similar life expectancy to,
and meets the same performance
standards as, a like good that is new;
and
(3) Enjoys the factory warranty similar
to that of a like good that is new;
(n) Simple combining or packaging
operations. ‘‘Simple combining or
packaging operations’’ means operations
such as adding batteries to electronic
devices, fitting together a small number
of components by bolting, gluing, or
soldering, or packing or repacking
components together.
§ 10.810
Originating goods.
(a) General. A good will be considered
an originating good under the BFTA
when imported directly from the
territory of a Party into the territory of
the other Party only if:
(1) The good is wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both
of the Parties;
(2) The good is a new or different
article of commerce, as defined in
§ 10.809(i) of this subpart, that has been
grown, produced, or manufactured in
the territory of one or both of the
Parties, is provided for in a heading or
subheading of the HTSUS that is not
covered by the product-specific rules set
forth in General Note 30(h), HTSUS, and
meets the value-content requirement
specified in paragraph (b) of this
section; or
(3) The good is provided for in a
heading or subheading of the HTSUS
covered by the product-specific rules set
forth in General Note 30(h), HTSUS,
and:
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(i)(A) Each of the non-originating
materials used in the production of the
good undergoes an applicable change in
tariff classification specified in General
Note 30(h), HTSUS, as a result of
production occurring entirely in the
territory of one or both of the Parties; or
(B) The good otherwise satisfies the
requirements specified in General Note
30(h), HTSUS; and
(ii) The good meets any other
requirements specified in General Note
30, HTSUS.
(b) Value-content requirement. A good
described in paragraph (a)(2) of this
section will be considered an
originating good under the BFTA only if
the sum of the value of materials
produced in one or both of the Parties,
plus the direct costs of processing
operations performed in one or both of
the Parties, is not less than 35 percent
of the appraised value of the good at the
time the good is entered into the
territory of the United States.
(c) Combining, packaging, and
diluting operations. For purposes of this
subpart, a good will not be considered
a new or different article of commerce
by virtue of having undergone simple
combining or packaging operations, or
mere dilution with water or 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.
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§ 10.811
Textile or apparel goods.
(a) De minimis.—(1) General. Except
as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this
section, a textile or apparel good that is
not an originating good under the BFTA
because certain fibers or yarns used in
the production of the component of the
good that determines the tariff
classification of the good do not
undergo an applicable change in tariff
classification set out in General Note
30(h), HTSUS, will be considered to be
an originating good if the total weight of
all such fibers is not more than seven
percent of the total weight of that
component.
(2) Exception. A textile or apparel
good containing elastomeric yarns in the
component of the good that determines
the tariff classification of the good will
be considered to be an originating good
only if such yarns are wholly formed in
the territory of a Party.
(b) Textile or apparel goods put up in
sets. Notwithstanding the specific rules
specified in General Note 30(h), HTSUS,
textile or apparel goods classifiable as
goods put up in sets for retail sale as
provided for in General Rule of
Interpretation 3, HTSUS, will not be
considered to be originating goods
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under the BFTA unless each of the
goods in the set is an originating good
or the total value of the non-originating
goods in the set does not exceed ten
percent of the appraised value of the set.
§ 10.812
Accumulation.
(a) An originating good or material
produced in the territory of one or both
of the Parties that is incorporated into
a good in the territory of the other Party
will be considered to originate in the
territory of the other Party.
(b) A good that is grown, produced, or
manufactured in the territory of one or
both of the Parties by one or more
producers is an originating good if the
good satisfies the requirements of
§ 10.810 of this subpart and all other
applicable requirements of General Note
30, HTSUS.
§ 10.813
Value of materials.
(a) General. For purposes of
§ 10.810(b) of this subpart and, except as
provided in paragraph (b) of this
section, the value of a material
produced in the territory of one or both
of the Parties includes the following:
(1) The price actually paid or payable
for the material by the producer of the
good;
(2) The freight, insurance, packing
and all other costs incurred in
transporting the material to the
producer’s plant, if such costs are not
included in the price referred to in
paragraph (a)(1) of this section;
(3) The cost of waste or spoilage
resulting from the use of the material in
the growth, production, or manufacture
of the good, less the value of recoverable
scrap; and
(4) Taxes or customs duties imposed
on the material by one or both of the
Parties, if the taxes or customs duties
are not remitted upon exportation from
the territory of a Party.
(b) Exception. If the relationship
between the producer of a good and the
seller of a material influenced the price
actually paid or payable for the material,
or if there is no price actually paid or
payable by the producer for the
material, the value of the material
produced in the territory of one or both
of the Parties includes the following:
(1) All expenses incurred in the
growth, production, or manufacture of
the material, including general
expenses;
(2) A reasonable amount for profit;
and
(3) The freight, insurance, packing,
and all other costs incurred in
transporting the material to the
producer’s plant.
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58519
§ 10.814 Direct costs of processing
operations.
(a) Items included. For purposes of
§ 10.810(b) of this subpart, the words
‘‘direct costs of processing operations’’,
with respect to a good, mean those costs
either directly incurred in, or that can
be reasonably allocated to, the growth,
production, or manufacture of the good
in the territory of one or both of the
Parties. Such costs include, to the extent
they are includable in the appraised
value of the good when imported into a
Party, the following:
(1) All actual labor costs involved in
the growth, production, or manufacture
of the specific good, including fringe
benefits, on-the-job training, and the
costs of engineering, supervisory,
quality control, and similar personnel;
(2) Tools, dies, molds, and other
indirect materials, and depreciation on
machinery and equipment that are
allocable to the specific good;
(3) Research, development, design,
engineering, and blueprint costs, to the
extent that they are allocable to the
specific good;
(4) Costs of inspecting and testing the
specific good; and
(5) Costs of packaging the specific
good for export to the territory of the
other Party.
(b) Items not included. For purposes
of § 10.810(b) of this subpart, the words
‘‘direct costs of processing operations’’
do not include items that are not
directly attributable to the good or are
not costs of growth, production, or
manufacture of the good. These include,
but are not limited to:
(1) Profit; and
(2) General expenses of doing
business that are either not allocable to
the good or are not related to the
growth, production, or manufacture of
the good, such as administrative
salaries, casualty and liability
insurance, advertising, and salesmen’s
salaries, commissions, or expenses.
§ 10.815 Packaging and packing materials
and containers for retail sale and for
shipment.
Packaging materials and containers in
which a good is packaged for retail sale
and packing materials and containers
for shipment are to be disregarded in
determining whether a good qualifies as
an originating good under § 10.810 of
this subpart and General Note 30,
HTSUS, except to the extent that the
value of such packaging and packing
materials and containers may be
included in meeting the value-content
requirement specified in § 10.810(b) of
this subpart.
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Indirect materials.
Tariff Preference Level
Indirect materials are to be
disregarded in determining whether a
good qualifies as an originating good
under § 10.810 of this subpart and
General Note 30, HTSUS, except that
the cost of such indirect materials may
be included in meeting the valuecontent requirement specified in
§ 10.810(b) of this subpart.
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§ 10.817
Imported directly.
(a) General. To qualify as an
originating good under the BFTA, a
good must be imported directly from the
territory of a Party into the territory of
the other Party. For purposes of this
subpart, the words ‘‘imported directly’’
mean:
(1) Direct shipment from the territory
of a Party into the territory of the other
Party without passing through the
territory of a non-Party; or
(2) If the shipment passed through the
territory of a non-Party, the good, upon
arrival in the territory of a Party, will be
considered to be ‘‘imported directly’’
only if the good:
(i) Remained under the control of the
customs authority of the non-Party; and
(ii) Did not undergo production,
manufacturing, or any other operation
outside the territories of the Parties,
other than unloading, reloading, or any
other operation necessary to preserve
the good in good condition or to
transport the good to the territory of a
Party. Operations that may be performed
outside the territories of the Parties
include inspection, removal of dust that
accumulates during shipment,
ventilation, spreading out or drying,
chilling, replacing salt, sulfur dioxide,
or aqueous solutions, replacing
damaged packing materials and
containers, and removal of units of the
good that are spoiled or damaged and
present a danger to the remaining units
of the good, or to transport the good to
the territory of a Party.
(b) Documentary evidence. An
importer making a claim for preferential
tariff treatment under the BFTA for an
originating good may be required to
demonstrate, to CBP’s satisfaction, that
the good was ‘‘imported directly’’ from
the territory of a Party into the territory
of the other Party, 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.
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§ 10.818
level.
Filing of claim for tariff preference
A fabric, apparel, or made-up good
described in § 10.819 of this subpart that
does not qualify as an originating good
under § 10.810 of this subpart may
nevertheless be entitled to preferential
tariff treatment under the BFTA under
an applicable tariff preference level
(TPL). To make a TPL claim, the
importer must include on the entry
summary, or equivalent documentation,
the applicable subheading in Chapter 99
of the HTSUS (9914.99.20) immediately
above the applicable subheading in
Chapter 52 through Chapter 63 of the
HTSUS under which each nonoriginating fabric or apparel good is
classified.
§ 10.819 Goods eligible for tariff
preference claims.
The following goods are eligible for a
TPL claim filed under § 10.818 of this
subpart (subject to the quantitative
limitations set forth in U.S. Note 13,
Subchapter XIV, Chapter 99, HTSUS):
(a) Cotton or man-made fiber fabric
goods provided for in Chapters 52, 54,
55, 58, and 60 of the HTSUS that are
wholly formed in the territory of
Bahrain from yarn produced or obtained
outside the territory of Bahrain or the
United States;
(b) Cotton or man-made fiber fabric
goods provided for in subheadings
5801.21, 5801.22, 5801.23, 5801.24,
5801.25, 5801.26, 5801.31, 5801.32,
5801.33, 5801.34, 5801.35, 5801.36,
5802.11, 5802.19, 5802.20, 5802.30,
5803.10, 5803.90.30, 5804.10.10,
5804.21, 5804.29.10, 5804.30,
5805.00.30, 5805.00.40, 5806.10.10,
5806.10.24, 5806.10.28, 5806.20,
5806.31, 5806.32, 5807.10.05,
5807.10.20, 5807.90.05, 5807.90.20,
5808.10.40, 5808.10.70, 5808.90,
5809.00, 5810.10, 5810.91, 5810.92,
5811.00.20, 5811.00.30, 6001.10,
6001.21, 6001.22, 6001.91, 6001.92,
6002.40, 6002.90, 6003.20, 6003.30,
6003.40, 6004.10, 6004.90, 6005.21,
6005.22, 6005.23, 6005.24, 6005.31,
6005.32, 6005.33, 6005.34, 6005.41,
6005.42, 6005.43, 6005.44, 6006.21,
6006.22, 6006.23, 6006.24, 6006.31,
6006.32, 6006.33, 6006.34, 6006.41,
6006.42, 6006.43, and 6006.44 of the
HTSUS that are wholly formed in the
territory of Bahrain from yarn spun in
the territory of Bahrain or the United
States from fiber produced or obtained
outside the territory of Bahrain or the
United States;
(c) Cotton or man-made fiber apparel
goods provided for in Chapters 61 or 62
of the HTSUS that are cut or knit to
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shape, or both, and sewn or otherwise
assembled in the territory of Bahrain
from fabric or yarn produced or
obtained outside the territory of Bahrain
or the United States; and
(d) Cotton or man-made fiber made-up
goods provided for in Chapter 63 of the
HTSUS that are cut or knit to shape, or
both, and sewn or otherwise assembled
in the territory of Bahrain from fabric
wholly formed in Bahrain or the United
States from yarn produced or obtained
outside the territory of Bahrain or the
United States.
§ 10.820
Certificate of eligibility.
Upon request, an importer claiming
preferential tariff treatment on a nonoriginating cotton or man-made fiber
good specified in § 10.819 of this
subpart must submit to CBP a certificate
of eligibility. The certificate of eligibility
must be completed and signed by an
authorized official of the Government of
Bahrain and must be in the possession
of the importer at the time the
preferential tariff treatment is claimed.
§ 10.821
Declaration.
(a) General. An importer who claims
preferential tariff treatment on a nonoriginating cotton or man-made fiber
good specified in § 10.819 of this
subpart must submit, at the request of
the port director, a declaration
supporting such a claim for preferential
tariff treatment that sets forth all
pertinent information concerning the
production of the good, including:
(1) A description of the good,
quantity, invoice numbers, and bills of
lading;
(2) A description of the operations
performed in the production of the good
in the territory of one or both of the
Parties;
(3) A reference to the specific
provision in § 10.819 of this subpart that
forms the basis for the claim for
preferential tariff treatment; and
(4) A statement as to any fiber, yarn,
or fabric of a non-Party and the origin
of such materials used in the production
of the good.
(b) Retention of records. An importer
must retain all documents relied upon
to prepare the declaration for a period
of five years.
§ 10.822 Transshipment of non-originating
fabric or apparel goods.
(a) General. To qualify for preferential
tariff treatment under an applicable
TPL, a good must be imported directly
from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party. For purposes
of this subpart, the words ‘‘imported
directly’’ mean:
(1) Direct shipment from the territory
of a Party into the territory of the other
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Party without passing through the
territory of a non-Party; or
(2) If the shipment passed through the
territory of a non-Party, the good, upon
arrival in the territory of a Party, will be
considered to be ‘‘imported directly’’
only if the good:
(i) Remained under the control of the
customs authority of the non-Party; and
(ii) Did not undergo production,
manufacturing, or any other operation
outside the territories of the Parties,
other than unloading, reloading, or any
other operation necessary to preserve it
in good condition or to transport the
good to the territory of a Party.
Operations that may be performed
outside the territories of the Parties
include inspection, removal of dust that
accumulates during shipment,
ventilation, spreading out or drying,
chilling, replacing salt, sulfur dioxide,
or other aqueous solutions, replacing
damaged packing materials and
containers, and removal of units of the
good that are spoiled or damaged and
present a danger to the remaining units
of the good, or to transport the good to
the territory of a Party.
(b) Documentary evidence. An
importer making a claim for preferential
tariff treatment under an applicable TPL
may be required to demonstrate, to
CBP’s satisfaction, that the good was
‘‘imported directly’’ from the territory of
a Party into the territory of the other
Party, as that terms 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.
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§ 10.823 Effect of non-compliance; failure
to provide documentation regarding
transshipment of non-originating fabric or
apparel goods.
(a) General. If an importer of a good
for which a TPL claim is made fails to
comply with any applicable
requirement under this subpart, the port
director may deny preferential tariff
treatment to the imported good.
(b) Failure to provide documentation
regarding transshipment. Where the
requirements for preferential tariff
treatment set forth elsewhere in this
subpart are met, the port director
nevertheless may deny preferential tariff
treatment to a good for which a TPL
claim is made if the good is shipped
through or transshipped in a country
other than a Party, and the importer of
the good does not provide, at the request
of the port director, evidence
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Jkt 214001
demonstrating to the satisfaction of the
port director that the requirements set
forth in § 10.822 of this subpart were
met.
Origin Verifications and
Determinations
§ 10.824 Verification and justification of
claim for preferential treatment.
(a) Verification. A claim for
preferential treatment made under
§ 10.803 of this subpart, including any
declaration or other information
submitted to CBP in support of the
claim, will be subject to such
verification as the port director deems
necessary. In the event that the port
director is provided with insufficient
information to verify or substantiate the
claim, the port director may deny the
claim for preferential treatment.
(b) Applicable accounting principles.
When conducting a verification of origin
to which Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles may be relevant,
CBP will apply and accept the Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles
applicable in the country of production.
§ 10.825 Issuance of negative origin
determinations.
If, as a result of an origin verification
initiated under this subpart, CBP
determines that a claim for preferential
tariff treatment made under § 10.803 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:
(a) A description of the good that was
the subject of the verification together
with the identifying numbers and dates
of the export and import documents
pertaining to the good;
(b) A statement setting forth the
findings of fact made in connection with
the verification and upon which the
determination is based; and
(c) With specific reference to the rules
applicable to originating goods as set
forth in General Note 30, HTSUS, and
in §§ 10.809 through 10.817 of this
subpart, the legal basis for the
determination.
Penalties
§ 10.826
All criminal, civil, or administrative
penalties which may be imposed on
U.S. importers for violations of the
customs and related laws and
regulations will also apply to U.S.
importers for violations of the laws and
regulations relating to the BFTA.
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Goods Returned After Repair or
Alteration
§ 10.827 Goods re-entered after repair or
alteration in Bahrain.
(a) General. This section sets forth the
rules that apply for purposes of
obtaining duty-free treatment on goods
returned after repair or alteration in
Bahrain as provided for in subheadings
9802.00.40 and 9802.00.50, HTSUS.
Goods returned after having been
repaired or altered in Bahrain, whether
or not pursuant to a warranty, are
eligible for duty-free treatment,
provided that the requirements of this
section are met. For purposes of this
section, ‘‘repairs or alterations’’ means
restoration, addition, renovation, redyeing, cleaning, re-sterilizing, or other
treatment which does not destroy the
essential characteristics of, or create a
new or commercially different good
from, the good exported from the United
States.
(b) Goods not eligible for treatment.
The duty-free treatment referred to in
paragraph (a) of this section will not
apply to goods which, in their condition
as exported from the United States to
Bahrain, are incomplete for their
intended use and for which the
processing operation performed in
Bahrain constitutes an operation that is
performed as a matter of course in the
preparation or manufacture of finished
goods.
(c) Documentation. The provisions of
paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of § 10.8 of
this part, relating to the documentary
requirements for goods entered under
subheading 9802.00.40 or 9802.00.50,
HTSUS, will apply in connection with
the entry of goods which are returned
from Bahrain after having been exported
for repairs or alterations and which are
claimed to be duty free.
PART 24—CUSTOMS FINANCIAL AND
ACCOUNTING PROCEDURE
4. The general authority citation for
Part 24 and the specific authority for
§ 24.23 continue to read as follows:
I
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 58a–58c,
66, 1202 (General Note 3(i), Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States) 1505,
1520, 1624; 26 U.S.C. 4461, 4462; 31 U.S.C.
9701; Public Law. 107–296, 116 Stat. 2135 (6
U.S.C. 1 et seq.).
*
Violations relating to the BFTA.
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58521
*
*
*
*
Section 24.23 also issued under 19 U.S.C.
3332;
*
*
*
*
*
5. Section 24.23 is amended by adding
a new paragraph (c)(8) to read as
follows:
I
§ 24.23
*
E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM
Fees for processing merchandise.
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16OCR1
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*
58522
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(c) * * *
(8) The ad valorem fee, surcharge, and
specific fees provided under paragraphs
(b)(1) and (b)(2)(i) of this section will
not apply to goods that qualify as
originating goods under § 202 of the
United States-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement Implementation Act (see also
General Note 30, HTSUS) that are
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse
for consumption, on or after August 1,
2006.
*
*
*
*
*
PART 102—RULES OF ORIGIN
6. The authority citation for Part 102
is revised to read as follows:
I
Authority: 19 U.S.C. 66, 1202 (General
Note 3(i), Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States), 1624, 3314, 3592.
7. Section 102.0 is amended by
adding, after the second sentence, a new
sentence to read as follows:
I
§ 102.0
Scope.
* * * The rules set forth in §§ 102.1
through 102.21 of this Part will also
apply for purposes of determining
whether an imported good is a new or
different article of commerce under
§ 10.809 of the United States-Bahrain
Free Trade Agreement regulations.
* * *
PART 162—INSPECTION, SEARCH,
AND SEIZURE
8. The authority citation for Part 162
continues to read in part as follows:
I
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 66,
1592, 1593a, 1624.
*
*
*
*
*
9. Section 162.0 is amended by
revising the last sentence to read as
follows:
I
§ 162.0
Scope.
* * * Additional provisions
concerning records maintenance and
examination applicable to U.S.
importers, exporters and producers
under the U.S.-Chile Free Trade
Agreement, the U.S.-Singapore Free
Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Morocco
Free Trade Agreement, and the U.S.Bahrain Free Trade Agreement are
contained in Part 10, Subparts H, I, M,
and N of this chapter, respectively.
United States-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement (BFTA), including a BFTA
importer’s declaration.
*
*
*
*
*
I 12. The Appendix to Part 163 is
amended by adding new listings under
section IV in numerical order to read as
follows:
Appendix to Part 163—Interim (a)(1)(A)
List
*
*
*
IV. * * *
*
*
§ 10.805 BFTA records that the importer
may have in support of a BFTA claim for
preferential tariff treatment, including an
importer’s declaration.
§ 10.820
BFTA TPL certificate of eligibility.
§ 10.821
PART 163—RECORDKEEPING
BFTA TPL declaration.
10. The authority citation for Part 163
continues to read as follows:
*
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 66,
1484, 1508, 1509, 1510, 1624.
PART 178—APPROVAL OF
INFORMATION COLLECTION
REQUIREMENTS
I
11. Section 163.1(a)(2) is amended by
redesignating paragraph (a)(2)(x) as
paragraph (a)(2)(xi) and adding a new
paragraph (a)(2)(x) to read as follows:
I
§ 163.1
*
*
*
13. The authority citation for Part 178
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 1624; 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Definitions.
* * *
(a) Records—* * *
(2) Activities * * *
(x) The maintenance of any
documentation that the importer may
have in support of a claim for
preferential tariff treatment under the
19 CFR section
*
14. Section 178.2 is amended by
adding new listings ‘‘§§ 10.803,10.804,
10.818, and 10.821’’ to the table in
numerical order to read as follows:
I
§ 178.2
Listing of OMB control numbers.
OMB control
No.
Description
*
*
*
*
*
*
§§ 10.803,10.804,10.818, and 10.821 ..................... Claim for preferential tariff treatment under the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
W. Ralph Basham,
Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
Approved: October 9, 2007.
Timothy E. Skud,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 07–5062 Filed 10–15–07; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 9111–14–P
*
*
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 165
[CGD09–07–123]
RIN 1625–AA00
Safety Zone; Chicago Harbor, Navy
Pier East, Chicago, IL
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of enforcement of
regulation.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce
the Navy Pier East Safety Zone in
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*
1651–0130
*
Chicago Harbor on October 15, 2007.
This action is necessary to protect
vessels and people from the hazards
associated with fireworks displays. This
safety zone will temporarily restrict
vessel traffic from a portion of Chicago
Harbor.
DATES: The regulations in 33 CFR
165.933 will be enforced from 8 p.m. to
10 p.m. on October 15, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
CWO Brad Hinken, Prevention
Department, Coast Guard Sector Lake
Michigan, Milwaukee, WI at (414) 747–
7154.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast
Guard will enforce the Navy Pier East
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58511-58522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5062]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
19 CFR PARTS 10, 24, 102, 162, 163, and 178
USCBP-2007-0063
CBP Dec. 07-81
RIN 1505-AB81
United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
AGENCIES: Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Department of
Homeland Security; Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Interim regulations; solicitation of comments.
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SUMMARY: This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(``CBP'') regulations on an interim basis to implement the preferential
tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the United
States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States
and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
DATES: Interim rule effective October 16, 2007; comments must be
received by December 17, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number, by one
of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments via docket number
USCBP-2007-0063.
Mail: Trade and Commercial Regulations Branch, Regulations
and Rulings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW. (Mint Annex), Washington, DC 20229.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received will be
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. For detailed instructions on submitting
comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the
``Public Participation'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov. Submitted comments
may also be inspected during regular business days between the hours of
9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Trade and Commercial Regulations Branch,
Regulations and Rulings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 799 9th
Street, NW. (5th Floor), Washington, DC. Arrangements to inspect
submitted comments should be made in advance by calling Mr. Joseph
Clark at (202) 572-8768.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Textile Operational Aspects: Robert Abels, Office of International
Trade, (202) 344-1959.
Other Operational Aspects: Seth Mazze, Office of International
Trade, (202) 344-2634.
Audit Aspects: Mark Hanson, Office of International Trade, (202)
863-3065.
Legal Aspects: Holly Files, Office of International Trade, (202)
572-8817.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation
Interested persons are invited to participate in this rulemaking by
submitting written data, views, or arguments on all aspects of the
interim rule. CBP also invites comments that relate to the economic,
environmental, or federalism effects that might result from this
interim rule. Comments that will provide the most assistance to CBP
will reference a specific portion of the interim rule, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include data, information, or
authority that support such recommended change. See ADDRESSES above for
information on how to submit comments.
Background
On September 14, 2004, the United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain
(the ``Parties'') signed the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
(``BFTA'' or ``Agreement''). The stated objectives of the BFTA include
creating new employment opportunities and raising the standard of
living for the citizens of the Parties by liberalizing and expanding
trade between them; enhancing the competitiveness of the enterprises of
the Parties in global markets; establishing clear and mutually
advantageous rules governing trade between the Parties; eliminating
bribery and corruption in international trade and investment; fostering
creativity and innovation by improving technology and enhancing the
protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights;
strengthening the development and enforcement of labor and
environmental laws and policies; and establishing an expanded free
trade area in the Middle East, thereby contributing to economic
liberalization and development in the region.
[[Page 58512]]
The provisions of the BFTA were adopted by the United States with
the enactment of the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
Implementation Act (the ``Act''), Public Law 109-169, 119 Stat. 3581
(19 U.S.C. 3805 note), on January 11, 2006. Section 205 of the Act
requires that regulations be prescribed as necessary.
On July 27, 2006, the President signed Proclamation 8039 to
implement the provisions of the BFTA. The proclamation, which was
published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006 (71 FR 43635),
modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(``HTSUS'') as set forth in Annexes I and II of Publication 3830 of the
U.S. International Trade Commission. The modifications to the HTSUS
included the addition of new General Note 30, incorporating the
relevant BFTA rules of origin as set forth in the Act, and the
insertion throughout the HTSUS of the preferential duty rates
applicable to individual products under the BFTA where the special
program indicator ``BH'' appears in parenthesis in the ``Special'' rate
of duty subcolumn. The modifications to the HTSUS also included a new
Subchapter XIV to Chapter 99 to provide for temporary tariff rate
quotas and applicable safeguards implemented by the BFTA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') is responsible for
administering the provisions of the BFTA and the Act that relate to the
importation of goods into the United States from Bahrain. Those
customs-related BFTA provisions that require implementation through
regulation include certain tariff and non-tariff provisions within
Chapter One (Initial Provisions and Definitions), Chapter Two (National
Treatment and Market Access for Goods), Chapter Three (Textiles and
Apparel), Chapter Four (Rules of Origin), and Chapter Five (Customs
Administration).
These implementing regulations incorporate certain general
definitions set forth in Article 1.3 of the BFTA. These regulations
also implement Article 2.6 (Goods Re-entered After Repair or
Alteration) of Chapter Two of the BFTA.
Chapter Three of the BFTA sets forth the measures relating to trade
in textile and apparel goods between Bahrain and the United States
under the BFTA. The provisions within Chapter Three that require
regulatory action by CBP are Article 3.2 (Rules of Origin and Related
Matters), Article 3.3 (Customs Cooperation), and Article 3.4
(Definitions).
Chapter Four of the BFTA sets forth the rules for determining
whether an imported good qualifies as an originating good of the United
States or Bahrain (BFTA Party) and, as such, is therefore eligible for
preferential tariff (duty-free or reduced duty) treatment as specified
in the Agreement. Under Article 4.1, originating goods may be grouped
in three broad categories: (1) Goods that are wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both of the Parties; (2) goods (other
than those covered by the product-specific rules set forth in Annex 3-A
or Annex 4-A) that are new or different articles of commerce that have
been grown, produced, or manufactured in the territory of one or both
of the Parties, and that have a minimum value-content, i.e., at least
35 percent of the good's appraised value must be attributed to the cost
or value of materials produced in one or both of the Parties plus the
direct costs of processing operations performed in one or both of the
Parties; and (3) goods that satisfy the product-specific rules set
forth in Annex 3-A (textile or apparel goods) or Annex 4-A (certain
non-textile or non-apparel goods).
Article 4.2 explains that the term ``new or different article of
commerce'' means a good that has been substantially transformed from a
good or material that is not wholly the growth, product, or manufacture
of one or both of the Parties and that has a new name, character, or
use distinct from the good or material from which it was transformed.
Article 4.3 provides that a good will not be considered to be a new or
different article of commerce as the result of undergoing simple
combining or packaging operations, or mere dilution with water or
another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of
the good.
Article 4.4 provides for the accumulation of production in the
territory of one or both of the Parties in determining whether a good
qualifies as originating under the BFTA. Articles 4.5 and 4.6 set forth
the rules for calculating the value of materials and the direct costs
of processing operations, respectively, for purposes of determining
whether a good satisfies the 35 percent value-content requirement.
Articles 4.7 through 4.9 consist of additional sub-rules applicable
to originating goods, involving retail packaging materials, packing
materials for shipment, indirect materials, and transit and
transshipment. In addition, Articles 4.10 and 4.11 set forth the
procedural requirements that apply under the BFTA, in particular with
regard to importer claims for preferential tariff treatment. Article
4.14 provides definitions of certain terms used in Chapter Four of the
BFTA. The basic rules of origin in Chapter Four of the BFTA are set
forth in General Note 30, HTSUS.
Chapter Five sets forth the customs operational provisions related
to the implementation and administration of the BFTA.
In order to provide transparency and facilitate their use, the
majority of the BFTA implementing regulations set forth in this
document have been included within new Subpart N in Part 10 of the CBP
regulations (19 CFR Part 10). However, in those cases in which BFTA
implementation is more appropriate in the context of an existing
regulatory provision, the BFTA regulatory text has been incorporated in
an existing Part within the CBP regulations. In addition, this document
sets forth several cross-references and other consequential changes to
existing regulatory provisions to clarify the relationship between
those existing provisions and the new BFTA implementing regulations.
The regulatory changes are discussed below in the order in which they
appear in this document.
Discussion of Amendments
Part 10
Section 10.31(f) concerns temporary importations under bond. It is
amended by adding references to certain goods originating in Bahrain
for which, like goods originating in Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Chile,
and Morocco, no bond or other security will be required when imported
temporarily for prescribed uses. The provisions of BFTA Article 2.5
(temporary admission of goods) are already reflected in existing
temporary importation bond or other provisions contained in Part 10 of
the CBP regulations and in Chapter 98 of the HTSUS.
Part 10, Subpart N
General Provisions
Section 10.801 outlines the scope of new Subpart N, Part 10. This
section also clarifies that, except where the context otherwise
requires, the requirements contained in Subpart N, Part 10 are in
addition to general administrative and enforcement provisions set forth
elsewhere in the CBP regulations. Thus, for example, the specific
merchandise entry requirements contained in Subpart N, Part 10 are in
addition to the basic entry requirements contained in Parts 141-143 of
the CBP regulations.
Section 10.802 sets forth definitions of common terms used in
multiple contexts or places within Subpart N,
[[Page 58513]]
Part 10. Although the majority of the definitions in this section are
based on definitions contained in Article 1.3 of the BFTA and Sec. 3
of the Act, other definitions have also been included to clarify the
application of the regulatory texts. Additional definitions which apply
in a more limited Subpart N, Part 10 context are set forth elsewhere
with the substantive provisions to which they relate.
Import Requirements
Section 10.803 sets forth the procedure for claiming BFTA tariff
benefits at the time of entry.
Section 10.804, as provided in BFTA Article 4.10(b), requires a
U.S. importer, upon request, to submit a declaration setting forth all
pertinent information concerning the growth, production, or manufacture
of the good. Included in Sec. 10.804 is a provision that the
declaration may be used either for a single importation or for multiple
importations of identical goods.
Section 10.805 sets forth certain importer obligations regarding
the truthfulness of information and documents submitted in support of a
claim for preferential tariff treatment under the BFTA. As provided in
BFTA Article 4.10(a), this section states that a U.S. importer who
makes a claim for preferential tariff treatment for a good is deemed to
have certified that the good qualifies for such treatment.
Section 10.806 provides that the importer's declaration is not
required for certain non-commercial or low-value importations.
Section 10.807 implements the portion of BFTA Article 4.10
concerning the maintenance of records necessary for the preparation of
the declaration.
Section 10.808, which is based on BFTA Article 4.11.1, provides for
the denial of BFTA tariff benefits if the importer fails to comply with
any of the requirements of Subpart N, Part 10, CBP regulations.
Rules of Origin
Sections 10.809 through 10.817 provide the implementing regulations
regarding the rules of origin provisions of General Note 30, HTSUS,
Article 3.2 and Chapter Four of the BFTA, and Sec. 202 of the Act.
Definitions
Section 10.809 sets forth terms that are defined for purposes of
the rules of origin. CBP notes that, pursuant to letters of
understanding exchanged between the Parties on September 14, 2004, in
determining whether a good meets the definition of a ``new or different
article of commerce'' in paragraph (i) of Sec. 10.809, the United
States should be guided by the provisions of Part 102 of the CBP
regulations (19 CFR Part 102).
General Rules of Origin
Section 10.810 includes the basic rules of origin established in
Article 4.1 of the BFTA, section 202(b) of the Act, and General Note
30(b), HTSUS.
Paragraph (a) of Sec. 10.810 sets forth the three basic categories
of goods that are considered originating goods under the BFTA.
Paragraph (a)(1) of Sec. 10.810 specifies those goods that are
considered originating goods because they are wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both of the Parties. Paragraph (a)(2)
provides that goods are considered originating goods if they: (1) Are
new or different articles of commerce that have been grown, produced,
or manufactured in the territory of one or both of the Parties as
determined by application of the provisions of Sec. 102.1 through
Sec. 102.21 of the CBP regulations (19 CFR 102.1 102.21); (2) are
classified in HTSUS provisions that are not covered by the product-
specific rules set forth in General Note 30(h), HTSUS; and (3) meet a
35 percent domestic-content requirement. Finally, paragraph (a)(3)
states that goods are considered originating goods if: (1) They are
classified in HTSUS provisions that are covered by the product-specific
rules set forth in General Note 30(h), HTSUS; (2) each non-originating
material used in the production of the good in the territory of one or
both of the Parties undergoes an applicable change in tariff
classification or otherwise satisfies the requirements specified in
General Note 30(h), HTSUS; and (3) the goods meet any other
requirements specified in General Note 30, HTSUS.
Paragraph (b) of Sec. 10.810 sets forth the basic rules that apply
for purposes of determining whether a good satisfies the 35 percent
domestic-content requirement referred to in Sec. 10.810(a)(2).
Paragraph (c) of Sec. 10.810 implements Article 4.3 of the BFTA,
relating to the simple combining or packaging or mere dilution
exceptions to the ``new or different article of commerce'' requirement
of Sec. 10.810(a)(2). Since the language in Article 4.3 of the BFTA
(and Sec. 202(i)(7)(B) of the Act) is nearly identical to the language
found in Sec. 213(a)(2) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act
(``CBERA'') (19 U.S.C. 2703(a)(2)), Sec. 10.810(c) incorporates by
reference the examples and principles set forth in Sec. 10.195(a)(2)
of CBP's implementing CBERA regulations.
Originating Textile or Apparel Goods
Section 10.811(a), as provided for in Article 3.2.6 of the BFTA,
sets forth a de minimis rule for certain textile or apparel goods that
may be considered to qualify as originating goods even though they fail
to satisfy the applicable change in tariff classification set out in
General Note 30(h). This paragraph also includes an exception to the de
minimis rule.
Section 10.811(b), which is based on Article 3.2.7 of the BFTA,
sets forth a special rule for textile or apparel goods classifiable
under General Rule of Interpretation 3, HTSUS, as goods put up in sets
for retail sale.
Accumulation
Section 10.812, which is derived from BFTA Article 4.4, sets forth
the rule by which originating goods or materials from the territory of
a Party that are used in the production of a good in the territory of
the other Party will be considered to originate in the territory of
such other Party. In addition, this section also establishes that a
good or material that is produced by one or more producers in the
territory of one or both of the Parties is an originating good or
material if the article satisfies all of the applicable requirements of
the rules of origin of the BFTA.
Value of Materials
Section 10.813 implements Article 4.5 of the BFTA, relating to the
calculation of the value of materials that may be applied toward
satisfaction of the 35 percent value-content requirement.
Direct Costs of Processing Operations
Section 10.814, which reflects Article 4.6 of the BFTA, sets forth
provisions regarding the calculation of direct costs of processing
operations for purposes of the 35 percent value-content requirement.
Packaging and Packing Materials and Containers for Retail Sale and for
Shipment
Section 10.815 is based on Article 4.7 of the BFTA and provides
that retail packaging materials and packing materials for shipment are
to be disregarded in determining whether a good qualifies as
originating under the BFTA, except to the extent that the value of such
packaging and packing materials may be included for purposes of meeting
the 35 percent value-content requirement.
Indirect Materials
Section 10.816, which is derived from Article 4.8 of the BFTA,
provides that indirect materials will be disregarded in determining
whether a good qualifies as
[[Page 58514]]
an originating good under the BFTA, except to the extent that the cost
of such indirect materials may be included toward satisfying the 35
percent value-content requirement.
Imported Directly
Section 10.817(a) sets forth the basic rule, found in Article 4.1
of the BFTA, that a good must be imported directly from the territory
of a Party into the territory of the other Party to qualify as an
originating good under the BFTA. This paragraph further provides that,
as set forth in Article 4.9 of the BFTA, a good will not be considered
to be imported directly if, after exportation from the territory of a
Party, the good undergoes production, manufacturing, or any other
operation outside the territories of the Parties, other than certain
minor operations.
Paragraph (b) of Sec. 10.817 provides that an importer making a
claim for preferential tariff treatment under the BFTA may be required
to demonstrate, through the submission of documentary evidence, that
the ``imported directly'' requirement was satisfied.
Tariff Preference Level
Section 10.818 sets forth the procedures for claiming BFTA tariff
benefits for non-originating fabric, apparel, or made-up goods entitled
to preference under an applicable tariff preference level (``TPL'').
Section 10.819, which is based on Articles 3.2.8(a) through
3.2.8(d), describes the non-originating fabric, apparel, and made-up
goods that are eligible for TPL claims under the BFTA.
Section 10.820 is based on Article 3.2.10 of the BFTA and
establishes that, at the written request of the Government of Bahrain,
CBP will require an importer claiming preferential treatment on a non-
originating cotton or man-made fiber good specified in Sec. 10.819 to
submit a certificate of eligibility.
Section 10.821 reflects Article 3.2.11 of the BFTA. Paragraph (a)
of Sec. 10.821 provides that an importer claiming preferential
treatment on a non-originating cotton or man-made fiber good specified
in Sec. 10.819 must submit, at the request of the port director, a
declaration setting forth all pertinent production information.
Paragraph (b) of Sec. 10.821 requires that an importer must retain all
records relied upon to prepare the declaration for a period of five
years.
Section 10.822 establishes that non-originating fabric or apparel
goods are entitled to preferential tariff treatment under an applicable
TPL only if they are imported directly from the territory of a Party
into the territory of the other Party.
Section 10.823 provides for the denial of a TPL claim if the
importer fails to comply with any applicable requirement under Subpart
N, Part 10, CBP regulations, including the failure to provide
documentation, when requested by CBP, establishing that the good was
imported directly from the territory of a Party into the territory of
the other Party.
Origin Verifications and Determinations
Sections 10.824 implements BFTA Article 4.11.2 by providing that a
claim for BFTA preferential tariff treatment, including any information
submitted in support of the claim, will be subject to such verification
as CBP deems necessary. This section further sets forth the
circumstances under which a claim may be denied based on the results of
the verification.
Section 10.825 implements BFTA Article 4.11.3 by providing that CBP
will issue a determination to the importer when CBP determines that a
claim for BFTA preferential tariff treatment should be denied based on
the results of a verification. This section also prescribes the
information required to be included in the determination.
Penalties
Section 10.826 concerns the general application of penalties to
BFTA transactions and is based on BFTA Article 5.9.
Goods Returned After Repair or Alteration
Section 10.827 implements BFTA Article 2.6 regarding duty treatment
of goods re-entered after repair or alteration in Bahrain.
Part 24
A paragraph is added to Sec. 24.23(c), which concerns the
merchandise processing fee (MPF) to implement Sec. 203 of the Act,
providing that the MPF is not applicable to goods that qualify as
originating goods as provided for under Sec. 202 of the Act.
Part 102
Part 102 contains regulations regarding the rules for determining
the country of origin of imported goods for various purposes. Section
102.0, which sets forth the scope of Part 102, is amended to notify
readers that the rules of Sec. Sec. 102.1 through 102.21 will be used
for purposes of determining whether a good is considered a new and
different article of commerce under the BFTA.
Part 162
Part 162 contains regulations regarding the inspection and
examination of, among other things, imported merchandise. A cross-
reference is added to Sec. 162.0, which is the scope section of the
part, to refer readers to the additional BFTA records maintenance and
examination provisions contained in new Subpart N, Part 10, CBP
regulations.
Part 163
A conforming amendment is made to Sec. 163.1 to include the
maintenance of any documentation that the importer may have in support
of a claim for preference under the BFTA as an activity for which
records must be maintained. Also, the list or records and information
required for the entry of merchandise appearing in the Appendix to Part
163 (commonly known as the (a)(1)(A) list)) is also amended to add the
BFTA records that the importer may have in support of a BFTA claim for
preferential tariff treatment.
Part 178
Part 178 sets forth the control numbers assigned to information
collections of CBP by the Office of Management and Budget, pursuant to
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. The list
contained in Sec. 178.2 is amended to add the information collections
used by CBP to determine eligibility for a tariff preference or other
rights or benefits under the BFTA and the Act.
Inapplicability of Notice and Delayed Effective Date Requirements
Under section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (``APA'') (5
U.S.C. 553), agencies amending their regulations generally are required
to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that
solicits public comment on the proposed amendments, consider public
comments in deciding on the final content of the final amendments, and
publish the final amendments at least 30 days prior to their effective
date. However, section 553(a)(1) of the APA provides that the standard
prior notice and comment procedures do not apply to an agency
rulemaking that involves the foreign affairs function of the United
States. CBP has determined that these interim regulations involve a
foreign affairs function of the United States, as they implement
preferential tariff treatment and related provisions of the BFTA.
Therefore, the rulemaking requirements under the APA do not apply and
this interim rule will be effective upon publication. However, CBP is
soliciting comments in this interim rule and will consider all comments
it receives before issuing a final rule.
[[Page 58515]]
Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
CBP has determined that this document is not a regulation or rule
subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12866 of September 30,
1993 (58 FR 51735, October 1993), because it pertains to a foreign
affairs function of the United States and implements an international
agreement, as described above, and therefore is specifically exempted
by section 3(d)(2) of Executive Order 12866. Because a notice of
proposed rulemaking is not required under section 553(b) of the APA for
the reasons described above, CBP notes that the provisions of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), do not
apply to this rulemaking. Accordingly, CBP also notes that this interim
rule is not subject to the regulatory analysis requirements or other
requirements of 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604.
Paperwork Reduction Act
These regulations are being issued without prior notice and public
procedure pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553).
For this reason, the collections of information contained in these
regulations have been reviewed and, pending receipt and evaluation of
public comments, approved by the Office of Management and Budget in
accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3507) under control number 1651-0130.
The collections of information in these regulations are in
Sec. Sec. 10.803, 10.804, 10.818, and 10.821. This information is
required in connection with claims for preferential tariff treatment
and for the purpose of the exercise of other rights under the BFTA and
the Act and will be used by CBP to determine eligibility for a tariff
preference or other rights or benefits under the BFTA and the Act. The
likely respondents are business organizations including importers,
exporters and manufacturers.
Estimated total annual reporting burden: 100 hours.
Estimated average annual burden per respondent: 12 minutes.
Estimated number of respondents: 500.
Estimated annual frequency of responses: 1.
Comments concerning the collections of information and the accuracy
of the estimated annual burden, and suggestions for reducing that
burden, should be directed to the Office of Management and Budget,
Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the Treasury, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503. A copy should
also be sent to the Trade and Commercial Regulations Branch,
Regulations and Rulings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1300
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (Mint Annex), Washington, DC 20229.
Signing Authority
This document is being issued in accordance with Sec. 0.1(a)(1) of
the CBP Regulations (19 CFR 0.1(a)(1)) pertaining to the authority of
the Secretary of the Treasury (or his/her delegate) to approve
regulations related to certain customs revenue functions.
List of Subjects
19 CFR Part 10
Alterations, Bonds, Customs duties and inspection, Exports,
Imports, Preference programs, Repairs, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Trade agreements.
19 CFR Part 24
Financial and accounting procedures.
19 CFR Part 102
Customs duties and inspections, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Rules of origin, Trade agreements.
19 CFR Part 162
Administrative practice and procedure, Customs duties and
inspection, Penalties, Trade agreements.
19 CFR Part 163
Administrative practice and procedure, Customs duties and
inspection, Export, Import, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements,
Trade agreements.
19 CFR Part 178
Administrative practice and procedure, Exports, Imports, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
Amendments to the CBP Regulations
0
Accordingly, chapter I of title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR
chapter I), is amended as set forth below.
PART 10--ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE,
ETC.
0
1. The general authority citation for Part 10 continues to read, and
the specific authority for new Subpart N is added to read as follows:
Authority: 19 U.S.C. 66, 1202 (General Note 3(i), Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States), 1321, 1481, 1484, 1498, 1508,
1623, 1624, 3314;
* * * * *
Sections 10.801 through 10.829 also issued under 19 U.S.C. 1202
(General Note 30, HTSUS) and Pub. L. 109-169, 119 Stat. 3581 (19 U.S.C.
3805 note).
0
2. In Sec. 10.31, paragraph (f), the last sentence is revised to read
as follows:
Sec. 10.31 Entry; bond.
* * * * *
(f) * * * In addition, notwithstanding any other provision of this
paragraph, in the case of professional equipment necessary for carrying
out the business activity, trade or profession of a business person,
equipment for the press or for sound or television broadcasting,
cinematographic equipment, articles imported for sports purposes and
articles intended for display or demonstration, if brought into the
United States by a resident of Canada, Mexico, Chile, Singapore,
Morocco, or Bahrain and entered under Chapter 98, Subchapter XIII,
HTSUS, no bond or other security will be required if the entered
article is a good originating, within the meaning of General Notes 12,
25, 26, 27 and 30, HTSUS, in the country of which the importer is a
resident.
* * * * *
0
3. Part 10, CBP regulations, is amended by adding Subpart N to read as
follows:
Subpart N--United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
General Provisions
Sec.
10.801 Scope.
10.802 General definitions.
Import Requirements
10.803 Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment upon
importation.
10.804 Declaration.
10.805 Importer obligations.
10.806 Declaration not required.
10.807 Maintenance of records.
10.808 Effect of noncompliance; failure to provide documentation
regarding transshipment.
Rules of Origin
10.809 Definitions.
10.810 Originating goods.
10.811 Textile or apparel goods.
10.812 Accumulation.
10.813 Value of materials.
10.814 Direct costs of processing operations.
10.815 Packaging and packing materials and containers for retail
sale and for shipment.
10.816 Indirect materials.
10.817 Imported directly.
[[Page 58516]]
Tariff Preference Level
10.818 Filing of claim for tariff preference level.
10.819 Goods eligible for tariff preference claims.
10.820 Certificate of eligibility.
10.821 Declaration.
10.822 Transshipment of non-originating fabric or apparel goods.
10.823 Effect of non-compliance; failure to provide documentation
regarding transshipment of non-originating fabric or apparel goods.
Origin Verifications and Determinations
10.824 Verification and justification of claim for preferential
treatment.
10.825 Issuance of negative origin determinations.
Penalties
10.826 Violations relating to the BFTA.
Goods Returned After Repair or Alteration
10.827 Goods re-entered after repair or alteration in Bahrain.
Subpart N--United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
General Provisions
Sec. 10.801 Scope.
This subpart implements the duty preference and related customs
provisions applicable to imported goods under the United States-Bahrain
Free Trade Agreement (the BFTA) signed on September 14, 2004, and under
the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the
Act; 119 Stat. 3581). 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 BFTA and the Act are contained in
Parts 24, 102, 162, and 163 of this chapter.
Sec. 10.802 General definitions.
As used in this subpart, the following terms will have the meanings
indicated unless either the context in which they are used requires a
different meaning or a different definition is prescribed for a
particular section of this subpart:
(a) Claim of origin. ``Claim of origin'' means a claim that a good
is an originating good or a good of a Party;
(b) 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 BFTA to an originating good or
other good specified in the BFTA, and to an exemption from the
merchandise processing fee;
(c) Customs Valuation Agreement. ``Customs Valuation Agreement''
means the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, which is part of the WTO
Agreement;
(d) Customs duty. ``Customs duty'' includes any customs or import
duty and a charge of any kind imposed in connection with the
importation of a good, including any form of surtax or surcharge in
connection with such importation, but does not include any:
(1) Charge equivalent to an internal tax imposed consistently with
Article III:2 of the GATT 1994; in respect of like, directly
competitive, or substitutable goods of the Party, or in respect of
goods from which the imported good has been manufactured or produced in
whole or in part;
(2) Antidumping or countervailing duty; and
(3) Fee or other charge in connection with importation commensurate
with the cost of services rendered;
(e) Days. ``Days'' means calendar days;
(f) Enterprise. ``Enterprise'' means any entity constituted or
organized under applicable law, whether or not for profit, and whether
privately-owned or governmentally-owned, including any corporation,
trust, partnership, sole proprietorship, joint venture, or other
association;
(g) Foreign material. ``Foreign material'' means a material other
than a material produced in the territory of one or both of the
Parties;
(h) GATT 1994. ``GATT 1994'' means the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade 1994, which is part of the WTO Agreement;
(i) Good. ``Good'' means any merchandise, product, article, or
material;
(j) Harmonized System. ``Harmonized System (HS)'' 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;
(k) Heading. ``Heading'' means the first four digits in the tariff
classification number under the Harmonized System;
(l) HTSUS. ``HTSUS'' means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States as promulgated by the U.S. International Trade
Commission;
(m) Originating. ``Originating'' means a good qualifying under the
rules of origin set forth in General Note 30, HTSUS, and BFTA Chapter
Three (Textiles and apparel) or Chapter Four (Rules of Origin);
(n) Party. ``Party'' means the United States or the Kingdom of
Bahrain;
(o) Person. ``Person'' means a natural person or an enterprise;
(p) Preferential tariff treatment. ``Preferential tariff
treatment'' means the duty rate applicable under the BFTA to an
originating good and an exemption from the merchandise processing fee;
(q) Subheading. ``Subheading'' means the first six digits in the
tariff classification number under the Harmonized System;
(r) 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;
(s) Territory. ``Territory'' means:
(1) With respect to Bahrain, the territory of Bahrain as well as
the maritime areas, seabed, and subsoil over which Bahrain exercises,
in accordance with international law, sovereignty, sovereign rights,
and jurisdiction; 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; and
(t) WTO Agreement. ``WTO Agreement'' means the Marrakesh Agreement
Establishing the World Trade Organization of April 15, 1994.
Import Requirements
Sec. 10.803 Filing of claim for preferential tariff treatment upon
importation.
An importer may make a claim for BFTA preferential tariff treatment
for an originating good by including on the entry summary, or
equivalent documentation, the symbol ``BH'' 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.
Sec. 10.804 Declaration.
(a) Contents. An importer who claims preferential tariff treatment
for a good under the BFTA must submit to CBP, at the request of the
port director, a declaration setting forth all pertinent information
concerning the growth, 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
[[Page 58517]]
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, which must be sufficiently detailed
to relate it to the invoice and HS nomenclature, including quantity,
numbers, invoice numbers, and bills of lading;
(vi) A description of the operations performed in the growth,
production, or manufacture of the good in territory of one or both of
the Parties and, where applicable, identification of the direct costs
of processing operations;
(vii) A description of any materials used in the growth,
production, or manufacture of the good that are wholly the growth,
product, or manufacture of one or both of the Parties, and a statement
as to the value of such materials;
(viii) A description of the operations performed on, and a
statement as to the origin and value of, any materials used in the
article that are claimed to have been sufficiently processed in the
territory of one or both of the Parties so as to be materials produced
in one or both of the Parties, or are claimed to have undergone an
applicable change in tariff classification specified in General Note
30(h), HTSUS; and
(ix) A description of the origin and value of any foreign materials
used in the good that have not been substantially transformed in the
territory of one or both of the Parties, or have not undergone an
applicable change in tariff classification specified in General Note
30(h), HTSUS;
(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-
Bahrain 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.
Sec. 10.805 Importer obligations.
(a) General. An importer who makes a claim for preferential tariff
treatment under Sec. 10.803 of this subpart:
(1) Will be deemed to have certified that the good is eligible for
preferential tariff treatment under the BFTA:
(2) Is responsible for the truthfulness of the information and data
contained in the declaration provided for in Sec. 10.804 of this
subpart; and
(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.
Sec. 10.806 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
Sec. 10.804 of this subpart for:
(1) A non-commercial importation of a good; or
(2) A commercial importation for which the value of the originating
goods does not exceed U.S. $2,500.
(b) Exception. If the port 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 BFTA, the port 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.
Sec. 10.807 Maintenance of records.
(a) General. An importer claiming preferential tariff treatment for
a good under Sec. 10.803 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 Sec. 163.5 of this chapter.
Sec. 10.808 Effect of noncompliance; failure to provide documentation
regarding transshipment.
(a) General. If the importer fails to comply with any requirement
under this subpart, including submission of a complete declaration
under Sec. 10.804 of this subpart, when requested, the port director
may deny preferential tariff treatment to the imported good.
(b) Failure to provide documentation regarding transshipment. Where
the requirements for preferential tariff treatment set forth elsewhere
in this subpart are met, the port director nevertheless may deny
preferential treatment to a good if the good is shipped through or
transshipped in the territory of a country other than a Party, and the
importer of the good does not provide, at the request of the port
director, evidence demonstrating to the satisfaction of the port
director that the good was imported directly from the territory of a
Party into the territory of the other Party (see Sec. 10.817 of this
subpart).
[[Page 58518]]
Rules of Origin
Sec. 10.809 Definitions.
For purposes of Sec. Sec. 10.809 through 10.817:
(a) Exporter. ``Exporter'' means a person who exports goods from
the territory of a Party;
(b) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. ``Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles'' means the recognized consensus or substantial
authoritative support in the territory of a Party, with respect to the
recording of revenues, expenses, costs, assets, and liabilities, the
disclosure of information, and the preparation of financial statements.
These standards may encompass broad guidelines of general application
as well as detailed standards, practices, and procedures;
(c) Good. ``Good'' means any merchandise, product, article, or
material;
(d) Goods wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of one or both
of the Parties. ``Goods wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of
one or both of the Parties'' means:
(1) Mineral goods extracted in the territory of one or both of the
Parties;
(2) Vegetable goods, as such goods are defined in the HTSUS,
harvested in the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(3) Live animals born and raised in the territory of one or both of
the Parties;
(4) Goods obtained from live animals raised in the territory of one
or both of the Parties;
(5) Goods obtained from hunting, trapping, or fishing in the
territory of one or both of the parties;
(6) Goods (fish, shellfish, and other marine life) taken from the
sea by vessels registered or recorded with a party and flying its flag;
(7) Goods produced from goods referred to in paragraph (d)(5) of
this section on board factory ships registered or recorded with that
Party and flying its flag;
(8) Goods taken by a Party or a person of a Party from the seabed
or beneath the seabed outside territorial waters, provided that a Party
has rights to exploit such seabed;
(9) Goods taken from outer space, provided they are obtained by a
Party or a person of a Party and not processed in the territory of a
non-Party;
(10) Waste and scrap derived from:
(i) Production or manufacture in the territory of one or both of
the Parties, or
(ii) Used goods collected in the territory of one or both of the
Parties, provided such goods are fit only for the recovery of raw
materials;
(11) Recovered goods derived in the territory of a Party from used
goods, and utilized in the territory of that Party in the production of
remanufactured goods; and
(12) Goods produced in the territory of one or both of the Parties
exclusively from goods referred to in paragraphs (d)(1) through (d)(10)
of this section, or from their derivatives, at any stage of production;
(e) Importer. Importer means a person who imports goods into the
territory of a Party;
(f) Indirect material. ``Indirect material'' means a good used in
the growth, production, manufacture, testing, or inspection of a good
but not physically incorporated into the good, or a good used in the
maintenance of buildings or the operation of equipment associated with
the growth, production, or manufacture of a good, including:
(1) Fuel and energy;
(2) Tools, dies, and molds;
(3) Spare parts and materials used in the maintenance of equipment
and buildings;
(4) Lubricants, greases, compounding materials, and other materials
used in the growth, production, or manufacture of a good or used to
operate equipment and buildings;
(5) Gloves, glasses, footwear, clothing, safety equipment, and
supplies;
(6) Equipment, devices, and supplies used for testing or inspecting
the good;
(7) Catalysts and solvents; and
(8) Any other goods that are not incorporated into the good but the
use of which in the growth, production, or manufacture of the good can
reasonably be demonstrated to be a part of that growth, production, or
manufacture;
(g) Material. ``Material'' means a good, including a part or
ingredient, that is used in the growth, production, or manufacture of
another good that is a new or different article of commerce that has
been grown, produced, or manufactured in one or both of the Parties;
(h) Material produced in the territory of one or both of the
Parties. ``Material produced in the territory of one or both of the
Parties'' means a good that is either wholly the growth, product, or
manufacture of one or both of the Parties, or a new or different
article of commerce that has been grown, produced, or manufactured in
the territory of one or both of the Parties;
(i) New or different article of commerce. A ``new or different
article of commerce'' exists when the country of origin of a good which
is produced in a Party from foreign materials is determined to be that
country under the provisions of Sec. Sec. 102.1 through 102.21 of this
chapter;
(j) Non-originating material. ``Non-originating material'' means a
material that does not qualify as originating under this subpart or
General Note 30, HTSUS;
(k) Packing materials and containers for shipment. ``Packing
materials and containers for shipment'' means the goods used to protect
a good during its transportation to the United States, and does not
include the packaging materials and containers in which a good is
packaged for retail sale;
(l) Recovered goods. ``Recovered goods'' means materials in the
form of individual parts that result from:
(1) The complete disassembly of used goods into individual parts;
and
(2) The cleaning, inspecting, testing, or other processing of those
parts as necessary for improvement to sound working condition;
(m) Remanufactured good. ``Remanufactured good'' means an
industrial good that is assembled in the territory of a Party and that:
(1) Is entirely or partially comprised of recovered goods;
(2) Has a similar life expectancy to, and meets the same
performance standards as, a like good that is new; and
(3) Enjoys the factory warranty similar to that of a like good that
is new;
(n) Simple combining or packaging operations. ``Simple combining or
packaging operations'' means operations such as adding batteries to
electronic devices, fitting together a small number of components by
bolting, gluing, or soldering, or packing or repacking components
together.
Sec. 10.810 Originating goods.
(a) General. A good will be considered an originating good under
the BFTA when imported directly from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party only if:
(1) The good is wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of one
or both of the Parties;
(2) The good is a new or different article of commerce, as defined
in Sec. 10.809(i) of this subpart, that has been grown, produced, or
manufactured in the territory of one or both of the Parties, is
provided for in a heading or subheading of the HTSUS that is not
covered by the product-specific rules set forth in General Note 30(h),
HTSUS, and meets the value-content requirement specified in paragraph
(b) of this section; or
(3) The good is provided for in a heading or subheading of the
HTSUS covered by the product-specific rules set forth in General Note
30(h), HTSUS, and:
[[Page 58519]]
(i)(A) Each of the non-originating materials used in the production
of the good undergoes an applicable change in tariff classification
specified in General Note 30(h), HTSUS, as a result of production
occurring entirely in the territory of one or both of the Parties; or
(B) The good otherwise satisfies the requirements specified in
General Note 30(h), HTSUS; and
(ii) The good meets any other requirements specified in General
Note 30, HTSUS.
(b) Value-content requirement. A good described in paragraph (a)(2)
of this section will be considered an originating good under the BFTA
only if the sum of the value of materials produced in one or both of
the Parties, plus the direct costs of processing operations performed
in one or both of the Parties, is not less than 35 percent of the
appraised value of the good at the time the good is entered into the
territory of the United States.
(c) Combining, packaging, and diluting operations. For purposes of
this subpart, a good will not be considered a new or different article
of commerce by virtue of having undergone simple combining or packaging
operations, or mere dilution with water or another substance that does
not materially alter the characteristics of the good. The principles
and examples set forth in Sec. 10.195(a)(2) of this part will apply
equally for purposes of this paragraph.
Sec. 10.811 Textile or apparel goods.
(a) De minimis.--(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph
(a)(2) of this section, a textile or apparel good that is not an
originating good under the BFTA because certain fibers or yarns used in
the production of the component of the good that determines the tariff
classification of the good do not undergo an applicable change in
tariff classification set out in General Note 30(h), HTSUS, will be
considered to be an originating good if the total weight of all such
fibers is not more than seven percent of the total weight of that
component.
(2) Exception. A textile or apparel good containing elastomeric
yarns in the component of the good that determines the tariff
classification of the good will be considered to be an originating good
only if such yarns are wholly formed in the territory of a Party.
(b) Textile or apparel goods put up in sets. Notwithstanding the
specific rules specified in General Note 30(h), HTSUS, textile or
apparel goods classifiable as goods put up in sets for retail sale as
provided for in General Rule of Interpretation 3, HTSUS, will not be
considered to be originating goods under the BFTA unless each of the
goods in the set is an originating good or the total value of the non-
originating goods in the set does not exceed ten percent of the
appraised value of the set.
Sec. 10.812 Accumulation.
(a) An originating good or material produced in the territory of
one or both of the Parties that is incorporated into a good in the
territory of the other Party will be considered to originate in the
territory of the other Party.
(b) A good that is grown, produced, or manufactured in the
territory of one or both of the Parties by one or more producers is an
originating good if the good satisfies the requirements of Sec. 10.810
of this subpart and all other applicable requirements of General Note
30, HTSUS.
Sec. 10.813 Value of materials.
(a) General. For purposes of Sec. 10.810(b) of this subpart and,
except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the value of a
material produced in the territory of one or both of the Parties
includes the following:
(1) The price actually paid or payable for the material by the
producer of the good;
(2) The freight, insurance, packing and all other costs incurred in
transporting the material to the producer's plant, if such costs are
not included in the price referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section;
(3) The cost of waste or spoilage resulting from the use of the
material in the growth, production, or manufacture of the good, less
the value of recoverable scrap; and
(4) Taxes or customs duties imposed on the material by one or both
of the Parties, if the taxes or customs duties are not remitted upon
exportation from the territory of a Party.
(b) Exception. If the relationship between the producer of a good
and the seller of a material influenced the price actually paid or
payable for the material, or if there is no price actually paid or
payable by the producer for the material, the value of the material
produced in the territory of one or both of the Parties includes the
following:
(1) All expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture
of the material, including general expenses;
(2) A reasonable amount for profit; and
(3) The freight, insurance, packing, and all other costs incurred
in transporting the material to the producer's plant.
Sec. 10.814 Direct costs of processing operations.
(a) Items included. For purposes of Sec. 10.810(b) of this
subpart, the words ``direct costs of processing operations'', with
respect to a good, mean those costs either directly incurred in, or
that can be reasonably allocated to, the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good in the territory of one or both of the Parties.
Such costs include, to the extent they are includable in the appraised
value of the good when imported into a Party, the following:
(1) All actual labor costs involved in the growth, production, or
manufacture of the specific good, including fringe benefits, on-the-job
training, and the costs of engineering, supervisory, quality control,
and similar personnel;
(2) Tools, dies, molds, and other indirect materials, and
depreciation on machinery and equipment that are allocable to the
specific good;
(3) Research, development, design, engineering, and blueprint
costs, to the extent that they are allocable to the specific good;
(4) Costs of inspecting and testing the specific good; and
(5) Costs of packaging the specific good for export to the
territory of the other Party.
(b) Items not included. For purposes of Sec. 10.810(b) of this
subpart, the words ``direct costs of processing operations'' do not
include items that are not directly attributable to the good or are not
costs of growth, production, or manufacture of the good. These include,
but are not limited to:
(1) Profit; and
(2) General expenses of doing business that are either not
allocable to the good or are not related to the growth, production, or
manufacture of the good, such as administrative salaries, casualty and
liability insurance, advertising, and salesmen's salaries, commissions,
or expenses.
Sec. 10.815 Packaging and packing materials and containers for retail
sale and for shipment.
Packaging materials and containers in which a good is packaged for
retail sale and packing materials and containers for shipment are to be
disregarded in determining whether a good qualifies as an originating
good under Sec. 10.810 of this subpart and General Note 30, HTSUS,
except to the extent that the value of such packaging and packing
materials and containers may be included in meeting the value-content
requirement specified in Sec. 10.810(b) of this subpart.
[[Page 58520]]
Sec. 10.816 Indirect materials.
Indirect materials are to be disregarded in determining whether a
good qualifies as an originating good under Sec. 10.810 of this
subpart and General Note 30, HTSUS, except that the cost of such
indirect materials may be included in meeting the value-content
requirement specified in Sec. 10.810(b) of this subpart.
Sec. 10.817 Imported directly.
(a) General. To qualify as an originating good under the BFTA, a
good must be imported directly from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party. For purposes of this subpart, the words
``imported directly'' mean:
(1) Direct shipment from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party without passing through the territory of a
non-Party; or
(2) If the shipment passed through the territory of a non-Party,
the good, upon arrival in the territory of a Party, will be considered
to be ``imported directly'' only if the good:
(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the non-
Party; and
(ii) Did not undergo production, manufacturing, or any other
operation outside the territories of the Parties, other than unloading,
reloading, or any other operation necessary to preserve the good in
good condition or to transport the good to the territory of a Party.
Operations that may be performed outside the territories of the Parties
include inspection, removal of dust that accumulates during shipment,
ventilation, spreading out or drying, chilling, replacing salt, sulfur
dioxide, or aqueous solutions, replacing damaged packing materials and
containers, and removal of units of the good that are spoiled or
damaged and present a danger to the remaining units of the good, or to
transport the good to the territory of a Party.
(b) Documentary evidence. An importer making a claim for
preferential tariff treatment under the BFTA for an originating good
may be required to demonstrate, to CBP's satisfaction, that the good
was ``imported directly'' from the territory of a Party into the
territory of the other Party, 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.
Tariff Preference Level
Sec. 10.818 Filing of claim for tariff preference level.
A fabric, apparel, or made-up good described in Sec. 10.819 of
this subpart that does not qualify as an originating good under Sec.
10.810 of this subpart may nevertheless be entitled to preferential
tariff treatment under the BFTA under an applicable tariff preference
level (TPL). To make a TPL claim, the importer must include on the
entry summary, or equivalent documentation, the applicable subheading
in Chapter 99 of the HTSUS (9914.99.20) immediately above the
applicable subheading in Chapter 52 through Chapter 63 of the HTSUS
under which each non-originating fabric or apparel good is classified.
Sec. 10.819 Goods eligible for tariff preference claims.
The following goods are eligible for a TPL cla