What is TFTEA?
The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) of 2015 is a U.S. law designed to ensure a fair and competitive trade environment. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) describes TFTEA as "helping American workers and American businesses compete fairly with the rest of the world."
The TFTEA establishes a comprehensive approach for CBP to apply trade facilitation and enforcement by:
Protecting U.S. economic security through trade enforcement
Collaborating with the private sector through direct engagement
Streamlining and modernizing through business transformation
What does TFTEA regulate?
The U.S. Congress created TFTEA to authorize CBP to execute activities that facilitate trade and enforcement, focusing on these key areas:
Balanced trade operations
Antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD)
Enforce and Protect Act of 2015 (EAPA)
Centers of Excellence and Expertise
De Minimis Value Exemption
Forced labor
Intellectual property rights (IPR)
Drawback
What is a Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)?
The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) applies to World Trade Organization (WTO) members that have accepted the Protocol. The TFA is designed to expedite the movement, release and clearance of goods across borders by reducing administrative friction and harmonizing customs procedures among member nations.
How does U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforce TFTEA?
CBP focuses trade enforcement efforts on Priority Trade Issues (PTIs). The agency is "committed to facilitating a proactive, aggressive, and dynamic trade enforcement system" as it works to protect American consumers and the economic prosperity of the United States.
CBP administers trade policy by collecting duties and enforcing remedies to create a level playing field for American business. CBP selects audit candidates, directs special enforcement operations, facilitates outreach and creates regulatory initiatives.
Priority Trade Issues are identified based on risk levels for revenue loss, harm to the U.S. economy or threat to the health and safety of the American people.
What is a TFTEA drawback claim?
TFTEA Drawback (19 CFR 190) is a whole or partial refund of duties, fees and internal revenue taxes imposed on imported merchandise. Claim payments are calculated based on the exportation or destruction of imported merchandise or a valid substitute.
Drawback claims must be filed electronically in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) platform for CBP trade processing.
What is the limit for filing charges on TFTEA drawback claims?
Each drawback claim is limited to a combination of 10,000 parts, pieces and styles in the import, manufacturing and export or destroyed records per drawback claim.
Navigate import compliance with confidence
How technology supports TFTEA compliance
Businesses navigating CBP policies and requirements need a transportation management system (TMS) that supports TFTEA compliance and drawback claim filing. A TMS streamlines compliance workflows and document management while supporting end-to-end visibility and global trade management.
Key technology capabilities for TFTEA compliance:
Customs and trade compliance tools that drive efficiency and accuracy across U.S. import processes, enabling customs brokers and importers to manage, file, track and report on key supply chain activities
Shipment and order visibility that reduces fragmentation across transportation networks by providing a detailed view of multimodal freight at the vessel, container, order and item level
Global sourcing and compliance capabilities that validate goods from source to shelf with improved traceability and transparency to help businesses maintain product integrity