Notice2021-18009
Uruguay Beef Imports Approved for the Electronic Certification System (eCERT)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 23, 2021
Effective
August 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentU.S. Customs and Border Protection
Abstract
This document announces that the export certification requirement for certain imports of beef from the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Uruguay) subject to a tariff-rate quota will be accomplished through the Electronic Certification System (eCERT). All imports of beef from Uruguay that are subject to the tariff-rate quota must have a valid export certificate with a corresponding eCERT transmission at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption. The United States Government (USG) has approved the request from Uruguay to transition, from the way the USG currently receives export certificates from Uruguay, to eCERT as the method of transmission. The transition to eCERT will not change the tariff-rate quota filing process or requirements. Importers will continue to provide the export certificate numbers from Uruguay in the same manner as when currently filing entry summaries with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The format of the export certificate numbers will remain the same for the corresponding eCERT transmissions.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47127-47128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18009]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Uruguay Beef Imports Approved for the Electronic Certification
System (eCERT)
AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: General notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document announces that the export certification
requirement for certain imports of beef from the Oriental Republic of
Uruguay (Uruguay) subject to a tariff-rate quota will be accomplished
through the Electronic Certification System (eCERT). All imports of
beef from Uruguay that are subject to the tariff-rate quota must have a
valid export certificate with a corresponding eCERT transmission at the
time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption. The
United States Government (USG) has approved the request from Uruguay to
transition, from the way the USG currently receives export certificates
from Uruguay, to eCERT as the method of transmission. The transition to
eCERT will not change the tariff-rate quota filing process or
requirements. Importers will continue to provide the export certificate
numbers from Uruguay in the same manner as when currently filing entry
summaries with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The format of the
export certificate numbers will remain the same for the corresponding
eCERT transmissions.
DATES: The use of the eCERT process for certain Uruguayan beef
importations subject to a tariff-rate quota will be effective for beef
entered, or withdrawn from a warehouse, for consumption on or after
August 30, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Peterson, Chief, Quota and
Agriculture Branch, Trade Policy and Programs, Office of Trade, (202)
384-8905, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#baf2ebebeff5eefbfad9d8ca94ded2c994ddd5cc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="531b0202061c0712133031237d373b207d343c25">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
There is an existing tariff-rate quota on certain beef from the
Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Uruguay) pursuant to Additional U.S. Note
3 of Chapter 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(HTSUS). The tariff-rate quota for beef from Uruguay was established by
section 6 of the Presidential Proclamation No. 6763 (December 23,
1994), as a result of the Uruguay Round Agreements, approved by
Congress in section 101 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C.
3511(a), Pub. L. 103-465, 108 Stat. 4814). Tariff-rate quotas permit a
specified quantity of merchandise to be entered or withdrawn for
consumption at a reduced duty rate during a specified period.
Furthermore, section 2012.3 of title 15 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) states that beef may only be entered as a product of
an eligible country for a tariff-rate quota if the importer makes a
declaration to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that a valid
export certificate is in effect with respect to the beef. In addition,
the CBP regulations, at 19 CFR 132.15, set forth provisions relating to
the requirement that an importer must possess a valid export
certificate at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for
consumption, to claim the in-quota tariff rate of duty on entries of
beef subject to the tariff-rate quota.
The Electronic Certification System (eCERT) is a system developed
by CBP that uses electronic data transmissions of information normally
associated with a required export document, such as a license or
certificate, to facilitate the administration of quotas and ensure that
the proper restraint levels are charged without being exceeded. Uruguay
currently submits export certificates to CBP via email, and in the
administration of the quota, CBP validates these certificates with the
certificate numbers provided by importers on their entry summaries.
Uruguay requested to participate in the eCERT process to comply with
the United States' tariff-rate quota for beef exported from Uruguay for
importation
[[Page 47128]]
into the United States. CBP has coordinated with Uruguay to implement
the eCERT process, and now Uruguay is ready to participate in this
process by transmitting its export certificates to CBP via eCERT.
Foreign countries participating in eCERT transmit information via a
global network service provider, which allows connectivity to CBP's
automated electronic system for commercial trade processing, the
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Specific data elements are
transmitted to CBP by the importer of record (or an authorized customs
broker) when filing an entry summary with CBP, and those data elements
must match eCERT data from the foreign country before an importer may
claim any applicable in-quota tariff rate of duty. An importer may
claim an in-quota tariff rate when merchandise is entered, or withdrawn
from warehouse, for consumption, only if the information transmitted by
the importer matches the information transmitted by the foreign
government. If there is no transmission by the foreign government upon
entry, an importer must claim the higher over-quota tariff rate.\1\ An
importer may subsequently claim the in-quota tariff rate under certain
limited conditions.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ If there is no associated foreign government eCERT
transmission available upon entry of the merchandise, an importer
may enter the merchandise for consumption subject to the over-quota
tariff rate or opt not to enter the merchandise for consumption at
that time (e.g., transfer the merchandise to a Customs bonded
warehouse or foreign trade zone or export or destroy the
merchandise).
\2\ If an importer enters the merchandise for consumption
subject to the over-quota tariff rate and the associated foreign
government eCERT transmission becomes available afterwards, an
importer may claim the in-quota rate of duty by filing a post
summary correction (before liquidation) or a protest under 19 CFR
part 174 (after liquidation). In either event, the in-quota rate of
duty is allowable only if there are still quota amounts available
within the original quota period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This document announces that Uruguay will be implementing the eCERT
process for transmitting export certificates for beef entries subject
to the tariff-rate quota. Imported merchandise that is entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after August 30, 2021,
must match the eCERT transmission of an export certificate from Uruguay
in order for an importer to claim the in-tariff quota rate. The
transition to eCERT will not change the tariff-rate quota filing
process or requirements. Importers will continue to provide the export
certificate numbers from Uruguay in the same manner as when currently
filing entry summaries with CBP. The format of the export certificate
numbers will not change as a result of the transition to eCERT. CBP
will reject entry summaries that claim an in-quota tariff rate when
filed without a valid export certificate in eCERT.
Dated: August 16, 2021.
AnnMarie R. Highsmith,
Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade.
[FR Doc. 2021-18009 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 23, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.