15 CFR § 748.12 - Firearms import certificate or import permit.
License applications for certain firearms and related commodities require support documents in accordance with this section. For destinations that are members of the Organization of American States (OAS), an FC Import Certificate or equivalent official document is required in accordance with paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section. For other destinations that require a firearms import or permit, the firearms import certificate or permit is required in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.
(a) Requirement to obtain document for OAS member states. Unless an exception in § 748.9(c) applies, an FC Import Certificate is required for license applications for firearms and related commodities, regardless of value, that are destined for member countries of the OAS. This requirement is consistent with the OAS Model Regulations described in § 742.17 of the EAR.
(1) Items subject to requirement. Firearms and related commodities are those commodities controlled for “FC Column 1” reasons under ECCNs 0A501 (except 0A501.y), 0A502, 0A504 (except 0A504.f), or 0A505 (except 0A505.d).
(2) Countries subject to requirement.
(i) OAS member countries include: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) Equivalent official document in place of FC Import Certificate. For those OAS member countries that have not yet established or implemented an FC Import Certificate procedure, BIS will accept an equivalent official document (e.g., import license or letter of authorization) issued by the government of the importing country as supporting documentation for the export of firearms.
(b) Obtaining the document.
(1) Applicants must request that the importer (e.g., ultimate consignee or purchaser) obtain the FC Import Certificate or an equivalent official document from the government of the importing country, and that it be issued covering the quantities and types of firearms and related items that the applicant intends to export. Upon receipt of the FC Import Certificate, its official equivalent, or a copy, the importer must provide the original or a certified copy of the FC Import Certificate or the original or a certified copy of the equivalent official document to the license applicant.
(2) If the government of the importing country will not issue an FC Import Certificate or its official equivalent, the applicant must supply the information described in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(6) through (c)(8) of this section on company letterhead.
(c) Content of the document. The FC Import Certificate or its official equivalent must contain the following information:
(1) Applicant's name and address. The applicant may be either the exporter, supplier, or order party.
(2) FC Import Certificate Identifier/Number.
(3) Name of the country issuing the certificate or unique country code.
(4) Date the FC Import Certificate was issued, in international date format (e.g., 24/12/12 for 24 December 2012, or 3/1/99 for 3 January 1999).
(5) Name of the agency issuing the certificate, address, telephone and facsimile numbers, signing officer name, and signature.
(6) Name of the importer, address, telephone and facsimile numbers, country of residence, representative's name if commercial or government body, citizenship, and signature.
(7) Name of the end user(s), if known and different from the importer, address, telephone and facsimile numbers, country of residence, representative's name if commercial (authorized distributor or reseller) or government body, citizenship, and signature. Note that BIS does not require the identification of each end user when the firearms and related commodities will be resold by a distributor or reseller if unknown at the time of export.
(8) Description of the commodities approved for import including a technical description and total quantity of firearms, parts and components, ammunition and parts.
You must furnish the consignee with a detailed technical description of each commodity to be given to the government for its use in issuing the FC Import Certificate. For example, for shotguns, provide the type, barrel length, overall length, number of shots, the manufacturer's name, the country of manufacture, and the serial number for each shotgun. For ammunition, provide the caliber, velocity and force, type of bullet, manufacturer's name and country of manufacture.
(9) Expiration date of the FC Import Certificate in international date format (e.g., 24/12/12) or the date the items must be imported, whichever is earlier.
(10) Name of the country of export (i.e., United States).
(11) Additional information. Certain countries may require the tariff classification number, by class, under the Brussels Convention (Harmonized Tariff Code) or the specific technical description of a commodity. For example, shotguns may need to be described in barrel length, overall length, number of shots, manufacturer's name and country of manufacture. The technical description is not the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN).
(d) Procedures for using document with license application—(1) Information necessary for license application. The license application must include the same commodities as those listed on the FC Import Certificate or the equivalent official document.
(2) Alterations. After an FC Import Certificate or equivalent official document is used to support the issuance of a license, no corrections, additions, or alterations may be made on the FC Import Certificate by any person. Any necessary corrections, additions, or alterations should be noted by the applicant in a separate statement on file with the applicant.
(3) Validity period. FC Import Certificates or equivalent official documents issued by an OAS member country will be valid until the expiration date on the Certificate or for a period of four years, whichever is shorter.
Applicants for license applications for exports and reexports to an OAS member country must submit the initial FC Import Certificate with the license application. All BIS licenses for ECCNs 0A501 and 0A505 commodities will include a standard rider that requires that the applicant/exporter must have a current FC Import Certificate on file prior to export. Note that while FC Import Certificates are usually valid for 1 year, BIS licenses are valid for 4 years. The text of the standard rider will generally be as follows: “A current, complete, accurate and valid Firearms Convention (FC) Import Certificate (or equivalent official document) shall be obtained, if required by the government of the importing country, from the Ultimate Consignee and maintained in the exporter's file prior to any export of the item(s) listed on this license. A copy shall be provided to the U.S. Government upon request. (Refer to section 742.17(b) of the EAR for guidance.)”
(e) Requirement to obtain an import certificate or permit for other than OAS member states. If the country to which firearms, parts, components, accessories, and attachments controlled under ECCN 0A501, or ammunition controlled under ECCN 0A505, are being exported or reexported requires that a government-issued certificate or permit be obtained prior to importing the commodity, the exporter or reexporter must obtain and retain on file the original or a copy of that certificate or permit before applying for an export or reexport license unless:
(1) A license is not required for the export or reexport; or
(2) The exporter is required to obtain an import or end-user certificate or other equivalent official document pursuant to paragraphs (a) thorough (d) of this section and has, in fact, complied with that requirement.
(3)
(i) The number or other identifying information of the import certificate or permit must be stated on the license application.
(ii) If the country to which the commodities are being exported does not require an import certificate or permit for firearms imports, that fact must be noted on any license application for ECCN 0A501 or 0A505 commodities.
Applicants for license applications for exports and reexports to countries requiring that a government-issued certificate or permit be obtained prior to importing the commodity must have the initial government-issued certificate or permit prior to any export. All BIS licenses for ECCNs 0A501 and 0A505 commodities will include a standard rider that requires that the applicant/exporter have a government-issued certificate or permit on file prior to export. Note that while government-issued certificates or permits are usually valid for 1 year, BIS licenses are valid for 4 years. The text of the standard rider will generally be as follows: “A current, complete, accurate and valid Firearms Convention (FC) Import Certificate (or equivalent official document) shall be obtained, if required by the government of the importing country, from the Ultimate Consignee and maintained in the Exporter's file prior to any export of the item(s) listed on this license. A copy shall be provided to the U.S. Government upon request. (Refer to § 742.17(b) of the EAR for guidance.)”
Obtaining a BIS Statement by Ultimate Consignee and Purchaser pursuant to § 748.11 does not exempt the exporter or reexporter from the requirement to obtain a certification pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section because that statement is not issued by a government.