What is this?
Duty drawback is a federal refund program administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under 19 U.S.C. § 1313. It allows U.S. importers and exporters to recover up to 99% of customs duties, taxes, and fees paid on imported merchandise that is subsequently exported or destroyed. It is a fundamental mechanism for reducing supply chain costs and remaining globally competitive.
How Tariff Refund HQ Handles It
We eliminate the administrative burden of duty drawback filing. Our team ingests your raw import and export data, cleanses it, and utilizes advanced matching logic to link outbound shipments to inbound entry summaries. We handle all CBP communications, privilege applications, and electronic submissions via the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies for the duty drawback program?
Any imported merchandise that is later exported, used in manufacturing a product that is exported, or destroyed under CBP supervision generally qualifies. This includes raw materials, components, and finished consumer goods.
How far back can we claim duty drawback?
Under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA), you can generally claim duty drawback on exports that occurred up to 5 years from the date of the original import.
Do I need to be both the importer and exporter?
No. Duty drawback rights can be transferred between parties (e.g., from an importer to a manufacturer to an exporter) using a Certificate of Delivery or Certificate of Manufacture and Delivery.
How long does a duty drawback claim take to process?
With Accelerated Payment privilege (which we apply for on your behalf), drawback refunds are typically issued within 3 to 6 weeks of filing. Standard processing without this privilege can take over a year.
Who This Is For
We operate on a standard contingency model. There are no upfront fees or hourly billings.
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