Today, President Obama signed the U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act a.k.a. the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, setting in motion the possibility for those products in the bill to claim a refund for duties paid since January 1, 2010. The bill, as we previously blogged, was for the most part an extension of pre-existing MTB provisions that had expired on December 31, 2009. New provisions that were introduced during the 110th Congress (back in 2008) and vetted favorably by the Administration are also included. Congressional staff report that they are already working to have a second MTB later this year that would include new bills requested during the 111th Congress.
So, if you lost your duty free status on December 31, 2009 and want a refund for duties you have paid since that time, you can file for a refund even if an entry has been liquidated for more than 180 days. However, you need to do it within 180 from today – the date of enactment of the legislation. For entries not yet liquidated, it would make sense to notify the ports where your goods entered to make sure they liquidate with a refund. Please let us know if we could assist you in this process. Send an email to iinsua@strtrade.com.
