Certain goods that enter the U.S. under a free trade agreement or trade preference program may also be exempt from paying the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF). Check the table to see if your goods qualify.

In order to qualify for the MPF exemption, the good must:

  • meet the appropriate rule of origin
  • meet all other requirements of the duty preference program being claimed

Per U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Tariff Preferential Level (TPL) goods are never exempt.
[table width=”500″ colwidth=”50|100|25|150″ colalign=”left|left|center|left”]
FTA/Preference Program;Countries;SPI;MPF
AFTA;Australia;AU;Exempt
AGOA;See general note 16(a) for country list;D;Exempt only for products of least-developed beneficiary developing countries (LDBDC) or when entered under HTS 9819
ATPDEA;See general note 11(d) for country list;J+;Exempt only when HTS 9821 is claimed
BFTA;Bahrain;BH;Exempt
CAFTA-DR;El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica;P, P+;Exempt
CBERA;See general note 7 (a) for country list;E;Exempt irrespective of whether CBERA is claimed
CBTPA;See general note 17(a) for country list;R;Exempt irrespective of whether CBTPA is claimed because they are a subset of CBERA
CFTA;Chile;CL;Exempt
CTPA;Colombia;CO;Exempt
Defense Control Management Area Operations (DCMAO)/ Defense Contract Administration Services Region (DCASR);;;Exempt
GSP;See general note 4(a) for GSP countries and 4(b) for least-developed beneficiary developing countries;A, A*;Although products of a GSP country are not exempt, products of least-developed beneficiary developing countries (a subset) are exempt, irrespective of whether GSP is claimed
ILFTA;Israel;IL;Exempt irrespective of whether ILFTA is claimed
Insular Possessions;U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands;Y;Exempt irrespective of whether preference is claimed
NAFTA;Canada, Mexico;CA MX;Exempt. However, E criterion goods (Annex 308.1) are not exempt unless eligible to be marked as products of Canada or Mexico.
OFTA;Oman;OM;Exempt
PATPA;Panama;PA;Exempt
PTPA;Peru;PE;Exempt
QIZ;West Bank, Gaza;N;Not exempt. However, exempt if marked “Israel”
SFTA;Singapore;SG;Integrated Sourcing Initiative (ISI) goods also originate, so also exempt.
UKFTA;Korea;KR;Exempt
[/table]

U.S. Customs: MPF and Preferential Trade Programs

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