U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided guidance for claiming drawback on imported goods that were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. If duties and taxes were paid and the goods are either exported or destroyed, the goods may qualify for a duty drawback refund under 19 U.S.C § 1313(c).
The importer will be required to provide documentation to CBP with details about the condition of the merchandise, as well as any insurance claims filed. Please note that if the importer has been reimbursed for duties and taxes via an insurance claim, the merchandise is not eligible for drawback.
CBP will waive the requirement to file a CBP Form 7553, Notice of Intent to Export or Destroy, as long as the importer provides detailed supporting documents showing the movement of the merchandise from import through to its ultimate exportation or destruction. This documentation must include the submission of any comprehensive insurance claim filed by the claimant which indicates to CBP that duties and taxes were not included, as well as third-party destruction documentation which demonstrates to CBP that the merchandise was completely destroyed and will no longer be an article of commerce. All drawback claims which are submitted to CBP should be clearly marked as “Hurricane Sandy” filings to allow for acceptance of the claim with these special requirements.
If your company paid duty on imported goods that were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Sandy and were not reimbursed for those duties by insurance, please contact Tina Jansen, MIQ VP of Import Services, at 773.824.2264 for more information.