[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 39286-39290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14285]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

19 CFR Part 10

[T.D. 02-31]
RIN 1515-AC59


Civil Aircraft

AGENCY: Customs Service, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document amends the Customs Regulations concerning the 
duty-free entry of civil aircraft merchandise to reflect amendments to 
General Note 6 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
made by the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1996. 
The amendments allow an importer to claim duty-free admission of civil 
aircraft merchandise without submitting a certificate, or having one on 
file at Customs, at the time of entry. The amendments also allow an 
importer to make a post-entry claim for duty-free admission by filing a 
statement prior to liquidation of the entry or before the liquidation 
becomes final.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 8, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Wallio, Office of Field 
Operations, at (202) 927-9704.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This document amends Sec. 10.183 of the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 
10.183), which concerns Customs duty-free treatment of civil aircraft 
merchandise. Section 10.183 implements General Note 6 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) (19 U.S.C. 1202), which 
implements the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft (Title VI of the 
Trade Agreements Act of 1979, Public Law 96-39, 93 Stat. 144, July 26, 
1979), to provide duty-free treatment for qualifying civil aircraft 
merchandise upon compliance with certain requirements. The term ``civil 
aircraft merchandise'' as used in this document covers merchandise that 
qualifies as ``civil aircraft'' under paragraph (b) of General Note 6, 
HTSUS, and thus is aircraft, aircraft engines, or ground flight 
simulators, including their parts, components, and subassemblies, that 
otherwise meet the requirements of paragraph (b).
    General Note 6 of the HTSUS was amended by section 12 of the 
Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1996 (the Act), 
Public Law 104-295, 110 Stat. 3514 (October 11, 1996). Prior to the 
amendment, General Note 6 required that an importer entering 
merchandise duty-free under the General Note must file with Customs a 
written statement certifying that the merchandise: (i) Is civil 
aircraft or has been imported for use in civil aircraft; (ii) will be 
so used; and (iii) has been approved for civil aircraft use by, or an 
application for approval has been submitted to, the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or by an airworthiness 
authority in the country of exportation (foreign airworthiness 
authority) if such approval is recognized by the FAA. General Note 6 
defined the term ``civil aircraft'' as all aircraft other than aircraft 
purchased for use by the Department of Defense or the United States 
Coast Guard.
    The Act amended General Note 6 to expand the definition of ``civil 
aircraft.'' The Act also eliminated the statement (certification) 
filing requirement. The Act provided that a claim for duty-free 
treatment under General Note 6 is made by the importer by entering the 
merchandise under a tariff provision for which the program indicator 
``Free (C)'' appears in the ``Special'' subcolumn of the tariff. (This 
is accomplished by placing the program indicator ``C'' on the entry 
summary.) This claim is deemed the importer's certification that the 
merchandise being entered is a civil aircraft or has been imported for 
use in

[[Page 39287]]

a civil aircraft and will be so used. No additional statement is 
necessary to file.
    Although the amendment eliminated the statement filing requirement, 
it requires that an importer maintain documentation to support the 
claim. It also provides that an importer may amend an entry or file a 
written statement to claim duty-free treatment under General Note 6 any 
time before the liquidation of the entry becomes final. A liquidation 
becomes final 90 days after the date notice of liquidation is given or 
transmitted to the importer (or its agent or consignee).
    On June 29, 2000, Customs published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(the NPRM) in the Federal Register (65 FR 40067) proposing to amend 
Sec. 10.183 to reflect the statutory amendments made to General Note 6 
by the Act. Section 10.183 of the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 10.183) 
currently provides that a written statement must be filed, along with 
supporting documentation, with each entry summary or be on file with 
Customs at the time of entry as a blanket statement at the port where 
the entry is filed (19 CFR 10.183(c)). The regulation also provides 
that the statement could not be treated as a missing document that 
could be produced later under bond (under 19 CFR 141.66) and that 
failure to timely file the statement or to have a valid blanket 
statement on file at the port would result in a dutiable entry (19 CFR 
10.183(c)(2)).

Summary of Proposed Amendment

    The proposed amendment to Sec. 10.183 was intended to conform the 
regulation to the statutory amendments made to General Note 6 by the 
Act. Thus, the proposed amendments: (1) Expanded the regulation's 
coverage by broadening the description of civil aircraft; (2) 
eliminated the requirement that supporting documentation be filed with 
each entry summary; (3) required that supporting documentation be 
maintained in the importer's records; (4) eliminated the statement 
(certification) filing requirement; (5) allowed an importer to make a 
claim for duty-free admission under General Note 6 after the filing of 
an entry (that did not make a claim) but before its liquidation becomes 
final; and (6) provided that no interest attaches to refunds of duty 
resulting from post-entry claims.

Discussion of Comments

    The NPRM requested comments on the proposed amendments. Two 
commenters responded with various comments and recommendations that are 
summarized and responded to below.
    Comment: One comment concerned the meaning of proposed 
Sec. 10.183(e), which provides that proof of end use of the entered 
merchandise in a qualifying manner (as or for use in civil aircraft) 
need not be maintained. The commenter asked whether this means that the 
importer's intent regarding imported civil aircraft merchandise, rather 
than the importer's actual use of that merchandise, is the qualifying 
factor for free entry under this provision.
    Customs Response: When an importer makes a claim for duty-free 
admission under General Note 6 by placing the ``C'' indicator on the 
entry summary to enter an article under a tariff provision for which 
the rate of duty ``Free C'' appears in the ``Special'' subcolumn, the 
importer, under General Note 6, is deemed to certify that the article 
is being imported for use in civil aircraft and will be so used. While 
General Note 6 does not mention the intent of the importer, this claim 
(deemed certification) is an expression of intent. Accordingly, it is 
the intent of the importer, as embodied in its claim for duty-free 
admission, that is determinative.
    Tariff provisions that implement General Note 6 (which have the 
``Free C'' designation in the ``Special'' subcolumn) are not actual use 
tariff provisions (as described in Additional U.S. Rule of 
Interpretation 1(b)). Therefore, there is no requirement to furnish 
proof of end use within three years after the date the civil aircraft 
merchandise is entered, as required under Additional U.S. Rule 1(b). 
Also, there is no time limit as to when imported merchandise must be 
used in civil aircraft.
    Customs notes that under 19 U.S.C. 1484(a), importers are obligated 
to enter merchandise using reasonable care. This obligation extends to 
how an importer classifies entered merchandise and determines the duty 
owed to Customs. This obligation certainly applies to importers 
entering merchandise under a claim of eligibility for duty-free civil 
aircraft treatment.
    Comment: Both commenters inquired about what documentation is 
acceptable to show the importer's intent to use entered merchandise in 
a qualifying manner.
    Customs Response: Initially, Customs notes that documentation is 
not required to be filed with the entry summary under General Note 6 
but must be maintained in accordance with part 163 of the Customs 
Regulations (19 CFR part 163).
    Regarding acceptable documentation, paragraph (b)(i)(A) of General 
Note 6 provides, as an eligibility requirement for claiming civil 
aircraft as duty-free under these provisions, that there be 
certification or approval of the merchandise by an appropriate 
airworthiness authority. Having documents that show certification or 
approval of the merchandise by an appropriate airworthiness authority 
would be acceptable to demonstrate the importer's intent. Specifically, 
an importer of civil aircraft merchandise that meets the requirements 
of General Note (6)(b)(i)(B)(1) would possess either a certificate 
issued by the FAA or a comparable document issued by, and showing the 
approval of, an airworthiness authority in the country of exportation 
(foreign airworthiness authority). In the latter instance, an importer 
should be able to show that the FAA recognizes the approval as an 
acceptable substitute for FAA certification.
    An importer of civil aircraft merchandise that meets the 
requirements of General Note (6)(b)(i)(B)(2) would possess an 
application (or copy of an application) for an FAA airworthiness 
certificate submitted to (and accepted by) the FAA by an existing 
``type and production certificate holder'' under FAA law (49 U.S.C. 
44702) and the type and production certificate of the certificate 
holder.
    An importer of civil aircraft merchandise that meets the 
requirements of General Note 6(b)(i)(B)(3) faces a somewhat different 
situation, as an application for an FAA certificate or for the approval 
of a foreign airworthiness authority relative to that merchandise will 
be submitted in the future. Thus, this importer will not possess a 
certificate or an approval, nor evidence that an application for a 
certificate or an approval has been submitted. However, this importer 
should possess the following documentation: (1) Evidence tending to 
show that an existing type and production certificate holder will 
submit an application for certification to the FAA or will seek 
approval from a foreign airworthiness authority; (2) the type and 
production certificate of the type and production certificate holder 
issued by the FAA; and (3) evidence showing that there is pending the 
completion of design or other technical requirements stipulated by the 
FAA.
    Some additional evidence may be available and, if so, must be 
maintained in accordance with General Note 6(a)(i), such as evidence 
having to do with the importer's estimate of the quantities of parts, 
components, and subassemblies as are required to meet the design and 
technical requirements stipulated by the

[[Page 39288]]

FAA, in accordance with the limitation of General Note 6(b)(iii).
    Importers should endeavor to have and maintain whatever evidence is 
available in all of these cases to show compliance with the 
requirements of General Note 6 and the regulations.
    Comment: A comment concerned whether FAA approval is required for 
all imported goods for which duty-free admission is claimed. The 
commenter noted that a recent Customs audit interpretation concluded 
that a part not covered by a certificate would qualify for duty-free 
treatment if it could be shown that the part went into an aircraft 
qualfiying as a civil aircraft under General Note 6.
    Customs Response: All merchandise entered under General Note 6 
requires an FAA airworthiness certification or the approval of a 
foreign airworthiness authority recognized as acceptable by the FAA in 
accordance with paragraph (b)(i)(B)(1) of General Note 6, or evidence 
that airworthiness certification/approval has been or will be applied 
for in accordance with paragraphs (b)(i)(B)(2) or (b)(i)(B)(3) of the 
general note. Merchandise must comply with one of these airworthiness 
certification provisions in order to meet the definition of General 
Note 6(b). Merchandise that fails to so comply is not eligible for 
duty-free treatment under these provisions.
    Comment: Another comment concerned safeguards for ensuring that 
merchandise entered duty-free as civil aircraft merchandise is used as 
intended. Specifically, the commenter asked if there will be measures 
in place to guarantee that merchandise imported by a party with the 
intent that it be used in civil aircraft will be so used when it is 
sold after entry to a distributor rather than an end user.
    Customs Response: There will be no special measures to ensure that 
merchandise imported with the intent to be used in a qualifying manner 
under the general note are so used in the future. As tariff provisions 
affected by the general note are not actual use tariff provisions, 
importers entering merchandise under these provisions are not required 
to submit proof of actual use. Customs will enforce General Note 6 with 
audits and the port director's authority to request verifying 
documentation at any time.
    Customs believes that the safeguards reside in the certification 
process itself, as the airworthiness certification or approval measures 
provide reasonable assurance that merchandise imported duty-free as 
civil aircraft merchandise is likely intended for such use and will 
likely be used in accordance with that certificate or approval 
(including those situations where the certificate or approval has been 
applied for or will be applied for in the future). Of course, importers 
who mistakenly enter merchandise duty-free under the general note 
should report the correction to Customs in accordance with the 
regulations.
    Comment: Another comment concerned proposed Sec. 10.183(c), which 
pertains to making a claim for duty-free admission under General Note 
6. Under this section, merchandise previously exported with benefit of 
drawback is not precluded from qualifying for duty-free treatment as 
civil aircraft merchandise. The commenter stated that this principle 
should be expanded to assure importers that free entry of civil 
aircraft merchandise will not be precluded where qualifying merchandise 
has previously been exported in the following circumstances: (1) From 
continuous Customs custody with remission, abatement, or refund of 
duty; (2) in compliance with any law of the United States or regulation 
of any federal agency requiring exportation; or (3) after manufacture 
or production in the United States in a Customs bonded warehouse or 
foreign trade zone or under heading 9813.00.05, HTSUS, pertaining to 
articles admitted into the United States free of duty and under bond to 
be repaired, altered, or processed. The commenter stated that previous 
exportation under the foregoing various circumstances precludes free 
entry under other provisions of law (such as Chapter 98, HTSUS, 
subchapter II, U.S. Note 1).
    The commenter requested the addition of language to proposed 
Sec. 10.183(c) to prevent the preclusion of free entry of civil 
aircraft parts previously exported under any of the circumstances 
described above.
    Customs Response: Customs does not see the need to add to the 
regulation the recommended language. Free entry under the civil 
aircraft agreement is not expressly precluded under any of these 
circumstances, and Customs is not aware of, nor has the commenter 
cited, instances when free entry was denied on account of merchandise 
having been previously exported as described.
    Comment: A commenter requested that the first sentence of proposed 
Sec. 10.183(e) be changed by deleting the words ``any additional 
documentation Customs may require to verify the claim for duty-free 
admission, including.'' As changed, the only documentary requirement 
will be the written order or contract and the evidence of FAA (or other 
airworthiness authority) certification. The commenter contended that 
these documents serve to verify the claim sufficiently and that the 
``additional documentation'' language creates uncertainty as to whether 
other documentation will be required. If Customs desires other 
documentation, stated the commenter, it should specify the nature of 
that documentation.
    Customs Response: It is possible that additional documentation, 
other than the order or contract and an FAA certification (or foreign 
airworthiness authority approval), may be involved. The importer may 
have to show possession of a type or production certificate, for 
example. In addition, other documentation may be required in instances 
where an application for an airworthiness certification or approval has 
not yet been filed. The demand for additional information is limited to 
documentation tending to sustain the duty-free claim under the program. 
While Customs believes that this will not lead to uncertainty, it is 
amending the language of proposed Sec. 10.183(e) to be more precise.
    Comment: A commenter requested the deletion of the third sentence 
of proposed Sec. 10.183(e) pertaining to the proscription of a claim 
for duty-free treatment under General Note 6 when the importer is not 
in possession of required documentation at the time of entry. This 
section of the proposed regulation provides that if an importer is not 
in possession of required documents at the time of entry, it should not 
then make a claim for duty-free admission, but may later make the claim 
under Sec. 10.183(f) which allows a post-entry claim.
    The commenter contended that the physical possession of supporting 
documentation should not be a prerequisite to the claim for duty-free 
treatment. Physical possession of documentation required to support 
other duty-free claims under part 10 is not required, stated the 
commenter, and there is no legitimate need to include such a 
requirement here. Such a requirement, claimed the commenter, is 
tantamount to reinstating the certification filing requirement that 
Congress removed when it amended General Note 6.
    Customs Response: Customs agrees that other duty-free provisions 
under part 10 of the regulations do not explicitly provide that 
importers must possess required documents at the time of entry. Rather, 
these provisions provide that the importer must maintain the required 
documentation in accordance with part 163 of the regulations and 
produce it upon Customs request. Some provisions under part 10 provide 
that failure to

[[Page 39289]]

produce documentation upon request results in denial of duty-free 
treatment. Customs therefore believes that the civil aircraft program 
under General Note 6 can be administered and enforced adequately using 
similar measures.
    Thus, proposed Sec. 10.183(e) is modified in this document by 
removing language specifying that importers must be in possession of 
required documents at the time of entry in order to claim duty-free 
treatment under the general note. The regulation, as amended in this 
document, retains the requirement that importers must maintain 
supporting documentation in accordance with part 163 of the regulations 
and adds that maintenance of these records is also in accordance with 
paragraph (a)(i) of General Note 6. The amended regulation also adds 
language providing that port directors may request production of 
supporting documentation at any time and that failure to produce 
sufficient documentation upon request, during the five year retention 
period, will result in the loss of duty-free treatment.
    Customs modifies the proposed regulation in this way to notify the 
public that the civil aircraft program under General Note 6 will be 
administered and enforced through document review under the authority 
of Customs audits or a demand by the port director in circumstances the 
port director deems appropriate. It is Customs position, however, that 
importers must be able to verify claims for duty-free admission under 
the general note at any time Customs calls upon them to do so, 
including at the time of entry should that occur. It is thus best that 
importers have possession of supporting documentation at the time of 
entry.
    Comment: The last sentence of proposed Sec. 10.183(e) provides that 
proof of the imported civil aircraft merchandise's end use need not be 
maintained by the importer. A commenter requested that this sentence be 
amended to provide that proof of end use also need not be furnished to 
Customs. This change, stated the commenter, will further confirm that 
civil aircraft tariff provisions (those with the indicator ``Free C'' 
in the Special subcolumn designating duty free entry under General Note 
6) are not ``actual use'' provisions subject to the requirements of 
Additional U.S. Rule of Interpretation 1(b), HTSUS, which requires that 
proof of end use of the merchandise be submitted to Customs within 
three years of entry.
    Customs Response: Customs disagrees. None of the civil aircraft 
provisions in the HTSUS are actual use provisions, and the language of 
proposed Sec. 10.183(e) is not ambiguous in this regard. Customs 
believes that this requested change is unnecessary.
    Comment: A commenter asserted that proposed Sec. 10.183(g) should 
be deleted, as proposed Sec. 10.183(e) already makes clear that 
documentation supporting duty-free admission must be maintained in 
accordance with part 163 of the Customs Regulations (19 CFR part 163). 
The commenter pointed out that under the provisions of part 163, 
documentation is subject to Customs requests for information, 
compliance assessments, investigations, and other forms of Customs 
inquiry. Accordingly, there is no reason for special monitoring or 
auditing under Sec. 10.183. Civil aircraft importers should not be 
subject to any greater or lesser scrutiny than any other importers.
    Customs Response: Customs disagrees. Customs has always been 
charged with the obligation to enforce the provisions of the civil 
aircraft agreement (as implemented by General Note 6, HTSUS) to protect 
the revenue, and there is nothing improper in making explicit in the 
regulation Customs intent to do so by monitoring and auditing entries. 
At worst, Sec. 10.183(g) is redundant, but Customs believes it is 
worthy to set forth in the regulation that entries will be monitored.

Conclusion

    After analysis of the comments received, as set forth above, and 
further review of the matter, Customs has determined that the proposed 
amendments should be adopted as a final rule with the changes discussed 
above and as set forth below.

Executive Order 12866

    This document does not meet the criteria for a ``significant 
regulatory action'' as specified in E.O. 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This amendment will make importations of civil aircraft merchandise 
less burdensome for importers than is the case under current 
regulations. Accordingly, pursuant to the provisions of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), it is certified that the 
amendments to the Customs Regulations in this final rule will not have 
a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. Thus, these amendments are not subject to the regulatory 
analysis or other requirements of 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The collection of information contained in this notice has 
previously been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under OMB control number 1515-0065 (Entry Summary), 1515-
0069 (Immediate Delivery Application), and 1515-0144 (Customs Bond 
Structure). This rule does not substantially change the existing 
approved information collection. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, 
and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a valid control number.

Drafting Information

    The principal author of this document was Bill Conrad, Office of 
Regulations and Rulings, U.S. Customs Service. However, personnel from 
other offices contributed in its development.

List of Subjects in 19 CFR Part 10

    Aircraft, Customs duties and inspection, Entry, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

Amendments to the Regulations

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, Part 10 of the Customs 
Regulations (19 CFR Part 10) is amended as follows:

PART 10--ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, 
ETC.

    1. The general authority citation for part 10 is revised, and the 
specific authority citation for Sec. 10.183 is added, to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 19 U.S.C. 66, 1202 (General Note 23, Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)), 1321, 1481, 1484, 
1498, 1508, 1623, 1624, 3314;
* * * * *
    Section 10.183 also issued under 19 U.S.C. 1202 (General Note 6, 
HTSUS);

* * * * *

    2. Section 10.183 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 10.183  Duty-free entry of civil aircraft, aircraft engines, 
ground flight simulators, parts, components, and subassemblies.

    (a) Applicability. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this 
section, this section applies to aircraft, aircraft engines, and ground 
flight simulators, including their parts, components, and 
subassemblies, that qualify as civil aircraft under General Note 6(b) 
ofthe Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) by 
meeting the following requirements:
    (1) The aircraft, aircraft engines, ground flight simulators, or 
their parts, components, and subassemblies, are used as original or 
replacement

[[Page 39290]]

equipment in the design, development, testing, evaluation, manufacture, 
repair, maintenance, rebuilding, modification, or conversion of 
aircraft; and
    (2) They are either:
    (i) Manufactured or operated pursuant to a certificate issued by 
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under 49 
U.S.C. 44704 or pursuant to the approval of the airworthiness authority 
in the country of exportation, if that approval is recognized by the 
FAA as an acceptable substitute for the FAA certificate;
    (ii) Covered by an application for such certificate, submitted to 
and accepted by the FAA, filed by an existing type and production 
certificate holder pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 44702 and implementing 
regulations (Federal Aviation Administration Regulations, title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations); or
    (iii) Covered by an application for such approval or certificate 
which will be submitted in the future by an existing type and 
production certificate holder, pending the completion of design or 
other technical requirements stipulated by the FAA (applicable only to 
the quantities of parts, components, and subassemblies as are required 
to meet the stipulation).
    (b) Department of Defense or U.S. Coast Guard use. If purchased for 
use by the Department of Defense or the United States Coast Guard, 
aircraft, aircraft engines, and ground flight simulators, including 
their parts, components, and subassemblies, are subject to this section 
only if they are used as original or replacement equipment in the 
design, development, testing, evaluation, manufacture, repair, 
maintenance, rebuilding, modification, or conversion of aircraft and 
meet the requirements of either paragraph (a)(2)(i) or (a)(2)(ii) of 
this section.
    (c) Claim for admission free of duty. Merchandise qualifying under 
paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this section is entitled to duty-free 
admission in accordance with General Note 6, HTSUS, upon meeting the 
requirements of this section. An importer will make a claim for duty-
free admission under this section and General Note 6, HTSUS, by 
properly entering qualifying merchandise under a provision for which 
the rate of duty ``Free (C)'' appears in the ``Special'' subcolumn of 
the HTSUS and by placing the special indicator ``C'' on the entry 
summary. The fact that qualifying merchandise has previously been 
exported with benefit of drawback does not preclude free entry under 
this section.
    (d) Importer certification. In making a claim for duty-free 
admission as provided for under paragraph (c) of this section, the 
importer is deemed to certify, in accordance with General Note 
6(a)(ii), HTSUS, that the imported merchandise is, as described in 
paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this section, a civil aircraft or has 
been imported for use in a civil aircraft and will be so used.
    (e) Documentation. Each entry summary claiming duty-free admission 
for imported merchandise in accordance with paragraph (c) of this 
section must be supported by documentation to verify the claim for 
duty-free admission, including the written order or contract and other 
evidence that the merchandise entered qualifies under General Note 6, 
HTSUS, as a civil aircraft, aircraft engine, or ground flight 
simulator, or their parts, components, and subassemblies. Evidence that 
the merchandise qualifies under the general note includes evidence of 
compliance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section concerning use of the 
merchandise and evidence of compliance with the airworthiness 
certification requirement of paragraph (a)(2)(i), (a)(2)(ii), or 
(a)(2)(iii) of this section, including, as appropriate in the 
circumstances, an FAA certification; approval of airworthiness by an 
airworthiness authority in the country of export and evidence that the 
FAA recognizes that approval as an acceptable substitute for an FAA 
certification; an application for a certification submitted to and 
accepted by the FAA; a type and production certificate issued by the 
FAA; and/or evidence that a type and production certificate holder will 
submit an application for certification or approval in the future 
pending completion of design or other technical requirements stipulated 
by the FAA and of estimates of quantities of parts, components, and 
subassemblies as are required to meet design and technical requirements 
stipulated by the FAA. This documentation need not be filed with the 
entry summary but must be maintained in accordance with the general 
note and with the recordkeeping provisions of Part 163 of this chapter. 
Customs may request production of documentation at any time to verify 
the claim for duty-free admission. Failure to produce documentation 
sufficient to satisfy the port director that the merchandise qualifies 
for duty-free admission will result in a denial of duty-free treatment 
and may result in such other measures permitted under the regulations 
as the port director finds necessary to more closely monitor the 
importer's importations of merchandise claimed to be duty-free under 
this section. Proof of end use of the entered merchandise need not be 
maintained.
    (f) Post-entry claim. An importer may file a claim for duty-free 
treatment under General Note 6, HTSUS, after filing an entry that made 
no such duty-free claim, by filing a written statement with Customs any 
time prior to liquidation of the entry or prior to the liquidation 
becoming final. When filed, the written statement constitutes the 
importer=s claim for duty-free treatment under the general note and its 
certification that the entered merchandise is a civil aircraft or has 
been imported for use in a civil aircraft and will be so used. In 
accordance with General Note 6, HTSUS, any refund resulting from a 
claim made under this paragraph will be without interest, 
notwithstanding the provision of 19 U.S.C. 1505(c).
    (g) Verification. The port director will monitor and periodically 
audit selected entries made under this section.

Robert C. Bonner,
Commissioner of Customs.
    Approved: June 3, 2002.
Timothy E. Skud,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 02-14285 Filed 6-6-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P