Rejected Merchandise Drawback Explained

Here’s an Example of Rejected Merchandise Drawback

Imports That Did Not Meet Specifications, Returned by the Consumer Defective, or Were Shipped Without the Consignee’s Consent

Rejected Merchandise Drawback Explained Video

Watch This Animated Video About Rejected Merchandise Drawback

The Regulatory Language of Rejected Merchandise Drawback

§ 190.41 Rejected merchandise drawback

Section 313(c) of the Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1313(c)), provides for drawback upon the exportation or destruction under CBP supervision of imported merchandise which has been entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, duty-paid, and which: Does not conform to sample or specifications; has been shipped without the consent of the consignee; or has been determined to be defective as of the time of importation; or ultimately sold at retail by the importer or the person who received the merchandise from the importer, and for any reason returned to and accepted by the importer or the person who received the merchandise from the importer. The total amount of drawback allowable will be 99 percent of the amount of duties paid with respect to the imported, duty-paid merchandise. See subpart P of this part for drawback of internal revenue taxes for unmerchantable or nonconforming distilled spirits, wines, or beer.

§ 190.42 Procedures and supporting documentation

(a) Time limit for exportation or destruction. Drawback will be denied on merchandise that is exported or destroyed after the statutory 5-year time period.

(b) Required documentation. The claimant must submit documentation to CBP as part of the complete drawback claim (see § 190.51) to establish that the merchandise did not conform to sample or specification, was shipped without the consent of the consignee, or was defective as of the time of importation (see § 190.45 for additional requirements for claims made on rejected retail merchandise under 19 U.S.C. 1313(c)(1)(C)(ii)). If the claimant was not the importer, the claimant must also:

(1) Submit a statement signed by the importer and every other person, other than the ultimate purchaser, that owned the goods, that no other claim for drawback was made on the goods by any other person; and

(2) Certify that records are available to support the statement required in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(c) Notice. A notice of intent to export or destroy merchandise which may be the subject of a rejected merchandise drawback claim (19 U.S.C. 1313(c)) must be provided to CBP to give CBP the opportunity to examine the merchandise. The claimant, or the exporter (for destruction under CBP supervision, see § 190.71), must file at the port of intended redelivery to CBP custody a Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy, or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback on CBP Form 7553 at least 5 working days prior to the date of intended return to CBP custody, unless the claimant has been granted a waiver of prior notice (see § 190.91) or complies with the procedures for 1-time waiver in § 190.36.

(d) Required information. The notice must provide the bill of lading number, if known, the name and telephone number, mailing address, and, if available, fax number and email address of a contact person, and the location of the merchandise.

(e) Decision to waive examination. Within 2 working days after receipt of the Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy, or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback (see paragraph (c) of this section), CBP will notify, in writing, the party designated on the Notice of CBP’s decision to either examine the merchandise to be exported or destroyed, or to waive examination. If CBP timely notifies the designated party, in writing, of its decision to examine the merchandise (see paragraph (f) of this section), but the merchandise is exported or destroyed without having been presented to CBP for such examination, any drawback claim, or part thereof, based on the Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy, or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback, must be denied. If CBP notifies the designated party, in writing, of its decision to waive examination of the merchandise, or, if timely notification of a decision by CBP to examine or to waive examination is absent, the merchandise may be exported or destroyed without delay and will be deemed to have been returned to CBP custody.

(f) Time and place of examination. If CBP gives timely notice of its decision to examine the merchandise to be exported or destroyed, the merchandise to be examined must be promptly presented to CBP. CBP must examine the merchandise within 5 working days after presentation of the merchandise. The merchandise may be exported or destroyed without examination if CBP fails to timely examine the merchandise after presentation to CBP, and in such case the merchandise will be deemed to have been returned to CBP custody. If the examination is to be completed at a port other than the port of actual exportation or destruction, the merchandise must be transported in-bond to the port of exportation or destruction.

(g) Extent of examination. The appropriate CBP office may permit release of merchandise without examination, or may examine, to the extent determined to be necessary, the items exported or destroyed.

(h) Drawback claim. When filing the drawback claim, the drawback claimant must correctly calculate the amount of drawback due (see § 190.51(b)). The procedures for restructuring a claim (see § 190.53) apply to rejected merchandise drawback if the claimant has an ongoing export program which qualifies for this type of drawback.

(i) Exportation. Claimants must provide documentary evidence of exportation (see subpart G of this part). The claimant may establish exportation by mail as set out in § 190.74.

§ 190.71 Drawback on articles destroyed under CBP supervision

(a) Procedure. At least 7 working days before the intended date of destruction of merchandise or articles upon which drawback is intended to be claimed, a Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy, or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback on CBP Form 7553 must be filed by the claimant with the CBP port where the destruction is to take place, giving notification of the date and specific location where the destruction is to occur. Within 4 working days after receipt of the CBP Form 7553, CBP will advise the filer in writing of its determination to witness or not to witness the destruction. If the filer of the notice is not so notified within 4 working days, the merchandise may be destroyed without delay and will be deemed to have been destroyed under CBP supervision. Unless CBP determines to witness the destruction, the destruction of the articles following timely notification on CBP Form 7553 will be deemed to have occurred under CBP supervision. If CBP attends the destruction, CBP will certify on CBP Form 7553.

(b) Evidence of destruction. When CBP does not attend the destruction, the claimant must submit evidence that destruction took place in accordance with the Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy, or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback on CBP Form 7553. The evidence must be issued by a disinterested third party (for example, a landfill operator). The type of evidence depends on the method and place of destruction, but must establish that the merchandise was, in fact, destroyed within the meaning of “destruction” in § 190.2.

(c) Completion of drawback entry. After destruction, the claimant must provide CBP Form 7553, certified by the CBP official witnessing the destruction in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, to CBP as part of the complete drawback claim based on the destruction (see § 190.51(a)). If CBP has not attended the destruction, the claimant must provide the evidence that destruction took place in accordance with the approved CBP Form 7553, as provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, as part of the complete drawback claim based on the destruction (see § 190.51(a)).

(d) Deduction for value of recovered materials. Under 19 U.S.C. 1313(x), a destruction may include a process by which materials are recovered from imported merchandise or from an article manufactured from imported merchandise for drawback claims made pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1313(a), (b), (c), and (j). In determining the amount of duties to be refunded as drawback to a claimant, the value of recovered materials (including the value of any tax benefit or royalty payment) that accrues to the drawback claimant must be deducted from the value of the imported merchandise that is destroyed, or from the value of the merchandise used, or designated as used, in the manufacture of the article.

19 CFR Part 190 – Modernized Drawback”

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-190