Customs revises ERP proposal

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 7/1/2000

In response to comments by members of the international trade community, the U.S. Customs Service has announced changes to its Entry Revision Project (ERP) proposal.

ERP is intended to change importing from a transaction-based process to an account-based system. It would allow importers to pay duties monthly rather than on individual shipments as is required under current law. It also would revise procedures for releasing goods and reviewing data after entry. (For details of the proposal and industry reactions to the plan, see "Customs proposal could ease importers' burden" on Page 63 of the May 2000 issue of Logistics.)

Several important changes are included in the revised Entry Revision Project proposal as follows:

• The information required for cargo entry and release will be simplified, but it may not compromise the U.S. Bureau of the Census' ability to collect and produce trade statistics. That agency had objected to the original ERP proposal, saying it would prevent the bureau from obtaining timely, accurate data.

• Importers will continue to have 10 days from the time of entry to pay duties. After that time, customs will charge interest. The original proposal did not specify when interest charges would begin.

• Importers will be allowed to make changes to their entry documents up to 18 months after the date of entry. The original plan called for an "extended option" of 15 months for corrections.

• Customs will have one year to review entry data, rather than three years as originally proposed.

The revised ERP proposal is posted on U.S. Customs' Web site (www.customs.treas.gov). Click on "What's New," then choose "Comment period opens on Entry Revision Project."