45 Post-entry processing It is recommended that Customs, during the process of liquidation, undertake to correct entries to reflect statistical changes, not just duty changes, and that Census undertake to correct annual published data to reflect final Customs decisions. One of the major weaknesses in the statistical verification program stems from the practice of using entry documents rather than liquidated documents as the basis for compiling import data. Upon liquidation, Customs changes over 200,000 entries per year, entries with a total value of approximately $5 billion, and these are only changes which affect duty. "Mere" statistical changes are ignored. The Commission recognizes that it would be impractical to gather monthly statistical data on the basis of liquidated documents because of the resulting loss of timeliness in data reporting. Thus, the practice of using entered documents as the source for compiling such information should continue. However, the criteria for a Customs change to an entry during the liquidation process should be expanded to include "statistical" changes, not just duty changes, with copies of the corrected entry documents forwarded to Census as soon as an error in the data is discovered to enable annual data to be corrected. Census edit criteria The Commission recommends a review be undertaken of the Census edit criteria under the auspices of the 484 (e) Committee. The Bureau of the Census has established extensive computer checks 94-545 O-77 - 12 46 and edits to reduce clerical or obvious errors to a minimum, but in many cases Census changes critical data elements with no other information than that contained on the statistical copy of the entry (Customs retains the invoices and other relevant commercial documents). This often leads to arbitrary changes without the benefit of complete information. Detailed input from Customs specialists, USITC analysts and Census trade analysts would make the edits done by Census more valuable and meaningful. (a) All invoices of merchandise to be imported into the United States shall set forth- (1) The port of entry to which the merchandise is destined; (2) The time when, the place where, and the person by whom and the person to whom the merchandise is sold or agreed to be sold, or if to be imported otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase, the place from which shipped, the time when and the person to whom and the person by whom it is shipped; (3) A detailed description of the merchandise, including the name by which each item is known, the grade or quality, and the marks, numbers, or symbols under which sold by the seller or manufacturer to the trade in the country of exportation, together with the marks and numbers of the packages in which the merchandise is packed; (4) The quantities in the weights and measures of the country or place from which the merchandise is shipped, or in the weights and measure of the United States; (5) The purchase price of each item in the currency of the purchase, if the merchandise is shipped in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase; (6) If the merchandise is shipped otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase, the value for each item, in the currency in which the transactions are usually made, or, in the absence of such value, the price in such currency that the manufacturer, seller, shipper, or owner would have received, or was willing to receive, for such merchandise if sold in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities in the country of exportation; (7) The kind of currency, whether gold, silver, or paper; (8) All charges upon the merchandise, itemized by name and amount when known to the seller or shipper; or all charges by name (including commissions, insurance, freight, cases, containers, coverings, and cost of packing) included in the invoice prices when the amounts for such charges are unknown to the seller or shipper; |