Money-Back Program for Importers of Costa Rican Goods
Now that Costa Rica has joined a regional free-trade agreement with the United States, importers who brought goods in from Costa Rica after 2004 can get a rebate on duties paid.
Costa Rica officially joined the Dominican Republic–Central American Free Trade Agreement on Jan. 1, the last of the six Central American countries in the regional agreement to do so.
That means that importers have until April 1 to collect rebates on duties paid between Jan. 1, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2008, on things such as T-shirts, cotton pants, buttons, thread or any other textiles that comply with the accord’s rules of origins.
Also, rebates may be given for goods that had Costa Rican inputs that subjected them to duties.
Importers are encouraged to contact their customs attorneys or customs brokers about getting duties returned. —Deborah Belgum
