Each person, including a crewmember, arriving in the United States who enters articles for his personal or household use, or as bona fide gifts not imported for sale nor for the account of another person, valued in the aggregate at not over $1,000 fair retail value in the country of acquisition, shall be assessed a flat rate of duty on the articles, as provided in § 148.102. The entry shall be made under subheading 9816.00.20 or 9816.00.40, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), and is subject to the limitations and conditions in this subpart. Except as provided in § 148.105, the flat rate of duty shall be assessed in place of any rates of duty other than free rates of duty. If the dutiable amount of the article(s) is over $1,000 fair retail value, the flat rate of duty provisions shall apply to the amount not over $1,000 fair retail value, and the excess amount shall be valued under section 402, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1401a). The article(s) shall be classified under the appropriate subheading number of the tariff schedule. For purposes of this subpart, “fair retail value” in the country of acquisition means the price at which the merchandise is freely offered there for sale at retail and “country of acquisition” includes America Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

Two examples of the application of this subpart are set forth below:

(a) Generally. The rate of duty on articles accompanying any person, including a crewmember, arriving in the United States (exclusive of duty-free articles and articles acquired in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States) shall be 4 percent, effective January 1, 2001, and 3 percent, effective January 1, 2002, of the fair retail value in the country of acquisition.

(b) American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The rate of duty on articles accompanying any person, including a crewmember, arriving in the United States directly or indirectly from American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States (exclusive of duty-free articles), acquired in these locations as an incident of the person's physical presence there, shall be 2 percent, effective January 1, 2001, and 1.5 percent, effective January 1, 2002, of the fair retail value in the location in which acquired.

(a) Generally. When members of a family residing in one household travel together on their return to the United States, the flat rate of duty allowance will be grouped and allowed without regard to which member of the family is the owner of the articles. A group allowance shall not include an allowance for a family member not entitled to it in his own right, nor shall a group allowance be applied to any property of that member.

(b) Members of a family residing in one household. “Members of a family residing in one household” includes all persons who:

(1) Are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship (as defined in § 148.34(c)), or adoption;

(2) Lived together in one household at their last permanent residence; and

(3) Intend to live in one household after their arrival in the United States.

(a) 30-day period. The flat rate of duty shall not apply to a person who has used the provision within the 30-day period immediately prior to his arrival in the United States. The date of the person's last arrival on which he declared articles for which the flat rate of duty was applicable shall be considered the date that rate was last used.

(b) Computation of time. The 30-day period immediately prior to the person's arrival in the United States shall be computed by excluding the day of arrival and counting backward 30 days.

(c) Remainder not applicable to subsequent journey. A person who has received a flat rate of duty allowance of less than $1,000 in connection with his return from one journey is not entitled to apply the remainder to articles acquired abroad on a subsequent journey.

(a) Generally. Any person who has information that merchandise is being imported into the United States under the provisions of subheading 9816.00.20 or 9816.00.40, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), and this subpart which adversely affects the economic interest of the United States may communicate the information in writing to the Commissioner of Customs, Attention: Office of Field Operations, Washington, DC 20229.

(b) Content of communication. The communication to the Commissioner need not be in any particular form but shall contain the following:

(1) The name of the individual and the person, firm, or association the individual represents, if any;

(2) The nature of the individual's interest in the matter, if any;

(3) A description of the merchandise, which it is alleged affects the economic interest of the United States adversely, including subheadings of the HTSUS, if known;

(4) The country of acquisition and the ports and dates of entry of the merchandise, if known; and

(5) A statement and supporting evidence as to the manner in which the individual believes the economic interest of the United States is being adversely affected.

(c) Inquiry to be conducted. Upon receipt of a communication containing the information required by paragraph (b) of this section, an inquiry will be conducted.

(d) Negative determination. If the inquiry results in a finding that no reasonable cause exists to believe that the application of the flat rate of duty provisions to a particular article of merchandise is adversely affecting the economic interest of the United States, the inquirer shall be advised in writing of the finding and the matter shall be closed.

(e) Publication of tentative finding. If the inquiry results in a finding by the Secretary of the Treasury that reasonable cause exists to believe that the application of the flat rate of duty provisions to a particular article of merchandise is affecting the economic interest of the United States adversely, a notice of the finding will be published in the Federal Register and Customs Bulletin, along with a statement of intent to exclude the articles from application of the flat rate of duty provisions. Interested persons will be given an opportunity to submit written comments on the notice.

(f) Final determination. Based upon the comments received and the results of any additional inquiry as may be necessary, if it is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury that application of the flat rate of duty provisions adversely affects the economic interest of the United States, a Treasury Decision will be published in the Federal Register and Customs Bulletin announcing that the merchandise will be excluded from application of the flat rate of duty provisions. Excluded articles of merchandise shall be listed in § 148.106. If it is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury that a valid basis for excluding the merchandise from the flat rate of duty provisions does not exist, the notice proposing to exclude the article will be withdrawn by publishing a notice in the Federal Register and the Customs Bulletin.

The following articles of merchandise have been found to affect the economic interest of the United States adversely, and they are excluded from the application of the flat rate of duty provisions.

[Reserved for listing.]