CBP Now Allows Protests for the Erroneous Denial of GSP Retroactive Refunds

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has clarified that protests may be submitted for Generalized System of Preference (i) entries that were filed with the special program indicator (SPI) “A” at entry summary but for which the automated scripting failed to liquidate the entry with a refund, and (ii) entries for which a refund was requested retroactively but were denied in error.

CBP previously said refund requests needed to be received by CBP no later than April 18, 2012, and that protest was not available as a refund mechanism. CBP now says that importers that sought a GSP refund within the period but did not receive it may seek redress through protest.

Contact - Laurie Dempsey, Chief, Entry Summary, and Drawback Branch, Office of International Trade - laurie.demsey@dhs.gov

(See ITT's Online Archives 12031913 for summary of CBP's GSP SPI "A" notice).