Chapter Five: Customs Procedures
Section C - Advance Rulings
1. Each Party shall, through its customs administration, provide for the expeditious issuance of written advance rulings, prior to the importation of a good into its territory, to an importer in its territory or an exporter or a producer in the territory of another Party, on the basis of the facts and circumstances presented by such importer, exporter or producer of the good, concerning:
a) whether materials imported from a non-Party used in the production of a good undergo an applicable change in tariff classification set out in Annex 401 as a result of production occurring entirely in the territory of one or more of the Parties;
b) whether a good satisfies a regional value-content requirement under either the transaction value method or the net cost method set out in Chapter Four;
c) for the purpose of determining whether a good satisfies a regional value-content requirement under Chapter Four, the appropriate basis or method for value to be applied by an exporter or a producer in the territory of another Party, in accordance with the principles of the Customs Valuation Code, for calculating the transaction value of the good or of the materials used in the production of the good;
d) for the purpose of determining whether a good satisfies a regional value-content requirement under Chapter Four, the appropriate basis or method for reasonably allocating costs, in accordance with the allocation methods set out in the Uniform Regulations, for calculating the net cost of the good or the value of an intermediate material;
e) whether a good qualifies as an originating good under Chapter Four;
f) whether a good that re-enters its territory after the good has been exported from its territory to the territory of another Party for repair or alteration qualifies for dutyfree treatment in accordance with Article 307 (Goods Re-Entered after Repair or Alteration);
g) whether the proposed or actual marking of a good satisfies country of origin marking requirements under Article 311 (Country of Origin Marking);
h) whether an originating good qualifies as a good of a Party under Annex 300B (Textile and Apparel Goods), Annex 302.2 (Tariff Elimination) or Chapter Seven (Agriculture and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures);
(i) whether a good is a qualifying good under Chapter Seven; or
(j) such other matters as the Parties may agree.
2. Each Party shall adopt or maintain procedures for the issuance of advance rulings, including a detailed description of the information reasonably required to process an application for a ruling.
3. Each Party shall provide that its customs administration:
a) may, at any time during the course of an evaluation of an application for an advance ruling, request supplemental information from the person requesting the ruling;
b) shall, after it has obtained all necessary information from the person requesting an advance ruling, issue the ruling within the periods specified in the Uniform Regulations; and
c) shall, where the advance ruling is unfavorable to the person requesting it, provide to that person a full explanation of the reasons for the ruling.
4. Subject to paragraph 6, each Party shall apply an advance ruling to importations into its territory of the good for which the ruling was requested, beginning on the date of its issuance or such later date as may be specified in the ruling.
5. Each Party shall provide to any person requesting an advance ruling the same treatment, including the same interpretation and application of provisions of Chapter Four regarding a determination of origin, as it provided to any other person to whom it issued an advance ruling, provided that the facts and circumstances are identical in all material respects.
6. The issuing Party may modify or revoke an advance ruling:
a) if the ruling is based on an error
(i) of fact,
(ii) in the tariff classification of a good or a material that is the subject of the ruling,
(iii) in the application of a regional value content requirement under Chapter Four,
(iv) in the application of the rules for determining whether a good qualifies as a good of a Party under Annex 300B, 302.2 or Chapter Seven,
(v) in the application of the rules for determining whether a good is a qualifying good under Chapter Seven, or
(vi) in the application of the rules for determining whether a good that re-enters its territory after the good has been exported from its territory to the territory of another Party for repair or alteration qualifies for dutyfree treatment under Article 307;
b) if the ruling is not in accordance with an interpretation agreed by the Parties regarding Chapter Three (National Treatment and Market Access for Goods) or Chapter Four;
c) if there is a change in the material facts or circumstances on which the ruling is based;
d) to conform with a modification of Chapter Three, Chapter Four, this Chapter, Chapter Seven, the Marking Rules or the Uniform Regulations; or
e) to conform with a judicial decision or a change in its domestic law.
7. Each Party shall provide that any modification or revocation of an advance ruling shall be effective on the date on which the modification or revocation is issued, or on such later date as may be specified therein, and shall not be applied to importations of a good that have occurred prior to that date, unless the person to whom the advance ruling was issued has not acted in accordance with its terms and conditions.
8. Notwithstanding paragraph 7, the issuing Party shall postpone the effective date of such modification or revocation for a period not exceeding 90 days where the person to whom the advance ruling was issued demostrates that it has relied in good faith to its detriment on that ruling.
9. Each Party shall provide that where its customs administration examines the regional value content of a good for which it has issued an advance ruling pursuant to subparagraph 1(c), (d) or f), it shall evaluate whether:
a) the exporter or producer has complied with the terms and conditions of the advance ruling;
b) the exporter's or producer's operations are consistent with the material facts and circumstances on which the advance ruling is based; and
c) the supporting data and computations used in applying the basis or method for calculating value or allocating cost were correct in all material respects.
10. Each Party shall provide that where its customs administration determines that any requirement in paragraph 9 has not been satisfied, it may modify or revoke the advance ruling as the circumstances may warrant.
11. Each Party shall provide that, where the person to whom an advance ruling was issued demonstrates that it used reasonable care and acted in good faith in presenting the facts and circumstances on which the ruling was based, and where the customs administration of a Party determines that the ruling was based on incorrect information, the person to whom the ruling was issued shall not be subject to penalties.
12. Each Party shall provide that where it issues an advance ruling to a person that has misrepresented or omitted material facts or circumstances on which the ruling is based or has failed to act in accordance with the terms and conditions of the ruling, the Party may apply such measures as the circumstances may warrant.
Section D - Review and Appeal of Origin Determinations and Advance Rulings
Article 510: Review and Appeal
1. Each Party shall grant substantially the same rights of review and appeal of marking determinations of origin, country of origin determinations and advance rulings by its customs administration as it provides to importers in its territory to any person:
a) who completes and signs a Certificate of Origin for a good that has been the subject of a determination of origin;
b) whose good has been the subject of a country of origin marking determination pursuant to Article 311 (Country of Origin Marking); or
(c) who has received an advance ruling pursuant to Article 509(1).
2. Further to Articles 1804 (Administrative Proceedings) and 1805 (Review and Appeal), each Party shall provide that the rights of review and appeal referred to in paragraph 1 shall include access to:
a) at least one level of administrative review independent of the official or office responsible for the determination under review; and
b) in accordance with its domestic law, judicial or quasijudicial review of the determination or decision taken at the final level of administrative review.
Section E - Uniform Regulations
Article 511: Uniform Regulations
1. The Parties shall establish, and implement through their respective laws or regulations by January 1, 1994, Uniform Regulations regarding the interpretation, application and administration of Chapter Four, this Chapter and other matters as may be agreed by the Parties.
2. Each Party shall implement any modification of or addition to the Uniform Regulations no later than 180 days after the Parties agree on such modification or addition, or such other period as the Parties may agree.
Section F - Cooperation
1. Each Party shall notify the other Parties of the following determinations, measures and rulings, including to the greatest extent practicable those that are prospective in application:
a) a determination of origin issued as the result of a verification conducted pursuant to Article 506(1);
b) a determination of origin that the Party is aware is contrary to
(i) a ruling issued by the customs administration of another Party with respect to the tariff classification or value of a good, or of materials used in the production of a good, or the reasonable allocation of costs where calculating the net cost of a good, that is the subject of a determination of origin, or
(ii) consistent treatment given by the customs administration of another Party with respect to the tariff classification or value of a good, or of materials used in the production of a good, or the reasonable allocation of costs where calculating the net cost of a good, that is the subject of a determination of origin;
c) a measure establishing or significantly modifying an administrative policy that is likely to affect future determinations of origin, country of origin marking requirements or determinations as to whether a good qualifies as a good of a Party under the Marking Rules; and
d) an advance ruling, or a ruling modifying or revoking an advance ruling, pursuant to Article 509.
2. The Parties shall cooperate:
a) in the enforcement of their respective customs-related laws or regulations implementing this Agreement, and under any customs mutual assistance agreements or other customsrelated agreement to which they are party;
b) for purposes of the detection and prevention of unlawful transshipments of textile and apparel goods of a non-Party, in the enforcement of prohibitions or quantitative restrictions, including the verification by a Party, in accordance with the procedures set out in this Chapter, of the capacity for production of goods by an exporter or a producer in the territory of another Party, provided that the customs administration of the Party proposing to conduct the verification, prior to conducting the verification
(i) obtains the consent of the Party in whose territory the verification is to occur, and
(ii) provides notification to the exporter or producer whose premises are to be visited,
except that procedures for notifying the exporter or producer whose premises are to be visited shall be in accordance with such other procedures as the Parties may agree;
c) to the extent practicable and for purposes of facilitating the flow of trade between them, in such customsrelated matters as the collection and exchange of statistics regarding the importation and exportation of goods, the harmonization of documentation used in trade, the standardization of data elements, the acceptance of an international data syntax and the exchange of information; and
d) to the extent practicable, in the storage and transmission of customs-related documentation.
Article 513: Working Group and Customs Subgroup
1. The Parties hereby establish a Working Group on Rules of Origin, comprising representatives of each Party, to ensure:
a) the effective implementation and administration of Articles 303 (Restriction on Drawback and Duty Deferral Programs), 308 (Most-Favored-Nation Rates of Duty on Certain Goods) and 311, Chapter Four, this Chapter, the Marking Rules and the Uniform Regulations; and
b) the effective administration of the customsrelated aspects of Chapter Three.
2. The Working Group shall meet at least four times each year and on the request of any Party.
3. The Working Group shall:
a) monitor the implementation and administration by the customs administrations of the Parties of Articles 303, 308 and 311, Chapter Four, this Chapter, the Marking Rules and the Uniform Regulations to ensure their uniform interpretation;
b) endeavor to agree, on the request of any Party, on any proposed modification of or addition to Article 303, 308 or 311, Chapter Four, this Chapter, the Marking Rules or the Uniform Regulations;
c) notify the Commission of any agreed modification of or addition to the Uniform Regulations;
d) propose to the Commission any modification of or addition to Article 303, 308 or 311, Chapter Four, this Chapter, the Marking Rules, the Uniform Regulations or any other provision of this Agreement as may be required to conform with any change to the Harmonized System; and
e) consider any other matter referred to it by a Party or by the Customs Subgroup established under paragraph 6.
4. Each Party shall, to the greatest extent practicable, take all necessary measures to implement any modification of or addition to this Agreement within 180 days of the date on which the Commission agrees on the modification or addition.
5. If the Working Group fails to resolve a matter referred to it pursuant to paragraph 3(e) within 30 days of such referral, any Party may request a meeting of the Commission under Article 2007 (Commission Good Offices, Conciliation and Mediation).
6. The Working Group shall establish, and monitor the work of, a Customs Subgroup, comprising representatives of each Party. The Subgroup shall meet at least four times each year and on the request of any Party and shall:
a) endeavor to agree on
(i) the uniform interpretation, application and administration of Articles 303, 308 and 311, Chapter Four, this Chapter, the Marking Rules and the Uniform Regulations,
(ii) tariff classification and valuation matters relating to determinations of origin,
(iii) equivalent procedures and criteria for the request, approval, modification, revocation and implementation of advance rulings,
(iv) revisions to the Certificate of Origin,
(v) any other matter referred to it by a Party, the Working Group or the Committee on Trade in Goods established under Article 316, and
(vi) any other customs-related matter arising under this Agreement;
b) consider
(i) the harmonization of customs-related automation requirements and documentation, and
(ii) proposed customs-related administrative and operational changes that may affect the flow of trade between the Parties' territories;
c) report periodically to the Working Group and notify it of any agreement reached under this paragraph; and
d) refer to the Working Group any matter on which it has been unable to reach agreement within 60 days of referral of the matter to it pursuant to subparagraph (a)(v).
7. Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent a Party from issuing a determination of origin or an advance ruling relating to a matter under consideration by the Working Group or the Customs Subgroup or from taking such other action as it considers necessary, pending a resolution of the matter under this Agreement.
For purposes of this Chapter:
commercial importation means the importation of a good into the territory of any Party for the purpose of sale, or any commercial, industrial or other like use;
customs administration means the competent authority that is responsible under the law of a Party for the administration of customs laws and regulations;
determination of origin means a determination as to whether a good qualifies as an originating good in accordance with Chapter Four;
exporter in the territory of a Party means an exporter located in the territory of a Party and an exporter required under this Chapter to maintain records in the territory of that Party regarding exportations of a good;
identical goods means goods that are the same in all respects, including physical characteristics, quality and reputation, irrespective of minor differences in appearance that are not relevant to a determination of origin of those goods under Chapter Four;
importer in the territory of a Party means an importer located in the territory of a Party and an importer required under this Chapter to maintain records in the territory of that Party regarding importations of a good;
intermediate material means "intermediate material" as defined in Article 415; Marking Rules means "Marking Rules" established under Annex 311;
material means "material" as defined in Article 415;
net cost of a good means "net cost of a good" as defined in Article 415;
preferential tariff treatment means the duty rate applicable to an originating good;
producer means "producer" as defined in Article 415;
production means "production" as defined in Article 415;
transaction value means "transaction value" as defined in Article 415;
Uniform Regulations means "Uniform Regulations" established under Article 511;
used means "used" as defined in Article 415; and
value means value of a good or material for purposes of calculating customs duties or for purposes of applying Chapter Four.
Continue on to Chapter Six: Energy and Basic Petrochemicals
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