U.S. CUSTOMS PREPARES FOR PAPERLESS DRAWBACK TEST

U.S. CUSTOMS PREPARES FOR PAPERLESS DRAWBACK TEST

   U.S. Customs will begin to test the feasibility of accepting paperless drawback claims from the industry through the Automated Broker Interface system.

   Drawback is a refund of customs duties paid on imported materials that are exported or used in the manufacture of exported articles. Traditionally, the process for filing drawback claims has been paper intensive.

   Customs said the objectives for the test, which will run for a year, are:

   * Reduce or eliminate need to reconstruct paper drawback claims for the agency’s drawback unit records destroyed in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

   * Analyze feasibility of filing electronic drawback claims on a nationwide basis.

   * Reduce space needed to retain records.

   Customs has limited the test to those drawback claims filed at its New York/Newark, N.J. drawback center. Applications to participate in the test must be received by Customs no later than Oct. 28. For more information, contact Sherri Lee Hoffman of Customs’ Entry and Drawback Management Branch, at (202) 927-0542.