DRAWBACK INDUSTRY TACKLES U.S. CUSTOMS PROOF OF EXPORT RULES

DRAWBACK INDUSTRY TACKLES U.S. CUSTOMS PROOF OF EXPORT RULES    U.S. drawback specialists will rally in Washington next month to once again encourage Customs to ease its rules for proof of export.
   Drawback is a refund of duties paid on imported materials which are either re-exported or used in the manufacture of export shipments. To issue a refund, Customs requires proof of export, which is often in the form of original bills of lading.
   “This is a major issue,” said Edwin Van Ek, president of New Jersey-based drawback firm C.J. Holt & Co., and head of the American Association of Exporters and Importers’ drawback committee. “These documents are nearly impossible to obtain.”
   On June 13-14, 11 drawback specialists from AAEI, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, and the American Petroleum Institute will hold a proof of export task force meeting with Customs in Washington to discuss documentation and the possibility of using data in the agency’s Automated Export System for proof of export.