President Obama is scheduled to sign H.R. 4380, the U.S. Manufacturing Act of 2010 (also known as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill) today in a White House signing ceremony attended by OIA.
OIA and its members were instrumental in getting the MTB passed by Congress, contacting dozens of House and Senate offices to encourage votes in favor of this important legislation. In recognition of these efforts, OIA was invited to be present as the President signed the bill into law.
The MTB applies to several categories of outdoor products, including extensions of duty suspensions on waterproof breathable footwear that OIA guided to congressional passage in 2006. It also affects fishing footwear, ski and snowboard equipment and footwear, and certain bicycle parts and accessories.
Today’s presidential signature means the legislation is now enacted. The MTB, however, does not take effect for another 15 days from today. This means that all imported product eligible for duty suspension entered or withdrawn from your warehouse prior to August 26, 2010 will need to file for retroactive reimbursement for duties paid from the beginning of this year.
Although U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not yet filed a public notice as to the procedures required to file reimbursement, OIA will assist members in evaluating whether their products are eligible for duty suspensions and with filing reimbursements from CBP.
