19 USC 4321 – Establishment of importer risk assessment program
(a) In general
Not later than the date that is 180 days after February 24, 2016, the Commissioner shall establish a program that directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to adjust bond amounts for importers, including new importers and nonresident importers, based on risk assessments of such importers conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in order to protect the revenue of the Federal Government.
(b) Requirements
Terms Used In 19 USC 4321
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
The Commissioner shall ensure that, as part of the program established under subsection (a), U.S. Customs and Border Protection—
(1) develops risk assessment guidelines for importers, including new importers and nonresident importers, to determine if and to what extent—
(A) to adjust bond amounts of imported products of such importers; and
(B) to increase screening of imported products of such importers;
(2) develops procedures to ensure increased oversight of imported products of new importers, including nonresident importers, relating to the enforcement of the priority trade issues described in section 4322 of this title;
(3) develops procedures to ensure increased oversight of imported products of new importers, including new nonresident importers, by Centers of Excellence and Expertise established under section 4317 of this title; and
(4) establishes a centralized database of new importers, including new nonresident importers, to ensure accuracy of information that is required to be provided by such importers to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
(c) Exclusion of certain importers
This section shall not apply to an importer that is a validated Tier 2 or Tier 3 participant in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program established under subtitle B of title II of the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 961 et seq.).
(d) Report
Not later than the date that is 2 years after February 24, 2016, the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report detailing—
(1) the risk assessment guidelines developed under subsection (b)(1);
(2) the procedures developed under subsection (b)(2) to ensure increased oversight of imported products of new importers, including new nonresident importers, relating to the enforcement of priority trade issues described in section 4322 of this title;
(3) the procedures developed under subsection (b)(3) to ensure increased oversight of imported products of new importers, including new nonresident importers, by Centers of Excellence and Expertise established under section 4317 of this title; and
(4) the number of bonds adjusted based on the risk assessment guidelines developed under subsection (b)(1).
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Importer
The term “importer” means one of the parties qualifying as an importer of record under section 1484(a)(2)(B) of this title.
(2) Nonresident importer
The term “nonresident importer” means an importer who is—
(A) an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; or
(B) a partnership, corporation, or other commercial entity that is not organized under the laws of a jurisdiction within the customs territory of the United States (as such term is defined in General Note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States) or in the Virgin Islands of the United States.