Dear DIF Customer,
On April 19, 2020, President Trump signed an Executive Order authorizing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Secretary of the Treasury to postpone the payment of certain duties, taxes and fees for “importers suffering significant financial hardship because of COVID-19” for 90 days.
Deferrals are limited to entries filed in March or April 2020. This authorization only applies to entries that have not yet been filed; it does not apply to entries that have already been filed. CBP will not return deposits of estimated duties, taxes, and fees that have already been paid.
To qualify for Significant Financial Hardship, an importer must be able to demonstrate:
- Fully or partially suspended during March 2020 or April 2020 due to orders from a competent governmental authority limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings due to COVID-19.
- and as a result of such suspension, the gross receipts of such importer for March 13-31, 2020 or April 2020 are less than 60 percent of the gross receipts for the comparable period in 2019.
Entries NOT eligible for the 90-Day postponement:
- Antidumping duties,
- Countervailing duties,
- Duties assessed pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962,
- Duties assessed pursuant to Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, and
- Duties assessed pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Payment Timeframes:
Please contact DIF for further details if you are eligible. Thank you.