IMPORTERS ALTER OPERATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE EXPIRED ANDEAN TRADE PACT

IMPORTERS ALTER OPERATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE EXPIRED ANDEAN TRADE PACT    With the expiration of the Andean Trade Preference Act at midnight Wednesday, Importers will have to report duties with Customs. The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 3009 to extend the pact, but that bill is still pending in the Senate.
   “Since merchandise entered into the U.S. after the expiration of ATPA are no longer eligible for duty-free treatment under this program, duties must be deposited with Customs,” said representatives from the Washington law firm Katten Muchin Zavis.
   Thus far, Customs has issued a directive advising Field Operations to reject entries using the “J” special program indicator for ATPA. Representatives from the firm said that if ATPA is renewed, and provides for retroactive extension of preferential tariff treatment, Customs will issue instructions concerning duty refund requests.
   The ATPA has given duty-free access to U.S. markets for goods from Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador since 1991 as compensation for their fight against narcotics trafficking.