In response to the difficulties facing American businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated control measures, Customs and Border Protection is contemplating granting relief to importers. In consideration of requests from the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association Customs Committee, chaired by GEODIS’ SVP of Trade Services and Government Relations Mary Jo Muoio, along with other industry group requests, CBP is looking at ways to provide flexibility to and extensions for a wide variety of deadlines importers face with customs obligations.
Specifically, CBP is considering granting a ninety-day extension of duty payments. At this time CBP is working to understand authorities and mechanisms which may allow this and specifics are not available. In the meantime, CBP is reviewing extraordinary requests on a case-by-case basis. As of today, lacking specific individual permissions, duty and related obligations remain in place. We expect more information in the near future and will alert our clients as soon as known. If you would like to seek temporary duty-payment relief from CBP, please contact us immediately. Initially, this relief would be for importers having duty payments due in the next week; if broader CBP issued extensions are not granted, we will pursue additional case-by-case requests.
In addition, we have presented CBP with a list of obligations, deadlines and the like which may be difficult for trade to meet due to current business disruptions. CBP is looking at their authorities to waive or extend requirements and more information will be out in the coming days. One immediate extension issued provides for extended time frames to present increased bonds where there has been an insufficiency notice. If you have questions about your duty payments, bond obligations or challenges meeting other CBP commitments, contact GEODIS Trade Services at tradeservices.ff.us@geodis.com for support or your GEODIS account representative.
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