CBP Says Netherlands Antilles' CBERA Benefits Removed
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message stating that on February 3, 2011, the U.S. State Department ceased to recognize the Netherlands Antilles as an independent country due to the Netherland’s dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. As a result, the islands that once made up the country can no longer receive Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) benefits.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
The Netherlands Antilles dissolved on October 10, 2010. Curacao and Sint Maarten (the Dutch two-fifths of the island of Saint Martin) became autonomous territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius now fall under the direct administration of the Netherlands.
Netherland Antilles Islands Must Now Each Request CBERA Benefits
According to government sources, the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) legislation designates specific countries (or their political successors) to be eligible for CBI benefits. The Netherlands Antilles is listed as one of those countries. Since the Netherlands Antilles no longer exists, there is no country to receive the benefits. Therefore, these islands no longer receive CBERA benefits.
CBP cannot provide Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten CBERA benefits until their CBERA status is approved. Government sources stated that each of the successor states must request benefits and that the U.S. is working with the State Department to urge the successor states to request the benefits.
Country, ISO Codes for the Islands
According to CBP, the country codes for Curacao and Sint Maarten are as follows:
Curacao:
Country Code = 2777
ISO Code = CW
Sint Maarten:
Country Code = 2774
ISO Code = SX
For goods of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, the 4-digit country code and ISO code is no longer 2771 and AN, corresponding to the Netherlands Antilles, but 4210 and NL, corresponding to the Netherlands.
CBP has updated the ACE and ACS country tables to reflect these changes.
(CSMS #11-000110)