19 U.S.C. § 1557 (CUSTOMS DUTIES)
§ 1557. Entry for warehouse
(a) Withdrawal of merchandise; time; payment of charges
(1) Any merchandise subject to duty (including international travel merchandise), with the exception of perishable articles and explosive substances other than firecrackers, may be entered for warehousing and be deposited in a bonded warehouse at the expense and risk of the owner 1 purchaser, importer, or consignee. Such merchandise may be withdrawn, at any time within 5 years from the date of importation, or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown, for consumption upon payment of the duties and charges accruing thereon at the rate of duty imposed by law upon such merchandise at the date of withdrawal; or may be withdrawn for exportation or for transportation and exportation to a foreign country, or for shipment or for transportation and shipment to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island, or the island of Guam, without the payment of duties thereon, or for transportation and rewarehousing at another port or elsewhere, or for transfer to another bonded warehouse at the same port; except that—
(A) the total period of time for which such merchandise may remain in bonded warehouse shall not exceed 5 years from the date of importation or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown; and
(B) turbine fuel may be withdrawn for use under section 1309 of this title without the payment of duty if an amount equal to the quantity of fuel withdrawn is shown to be used within 30 days after the day of withdrawal, but duties (together with interest payable from the date of the withdrawal at the rate of interest established under section 6621 of title 26) shall be deposited by the 40th day after the day of withdrawal on fuel that was withdrawn in excess of the quantity shown to have been so used during such 30-day period.
(2) Merchandise upon which the duties have been paid and which shall have remained continuously in bonded warehouse or otherwise in the custody and under the control of customs officers, may be entered or withdrawn at any time within 5 years after the date of importation, or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown, for exportation or for transportation and exportation to a foreign country, or for shipment or for transportation and shipment to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island, or the island of Guam, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe, and upon such entry or withdrawal, and exportation or shipment, the duties thereon shall be refunded.
(b) Transferal of right of withdrawal
The right to withdraw any merchandise entered in accordance with subsection (a) of this section for the purposes specified in such subsection may be transferred upon compliance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury and upon the filing by the transferee of a bond in such amount and containing such conditions as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe. The bond shall include an obligation to pay, with respect to the merchandise the subject of the transfer, all unpaid regular, increased, and additional duties, all unpaid taxes imposed upon or by reason of importation, and all unpaid charges and exactions. Such transfers shall be irrevocable, shall relieve the transferor from all customs liability with respect to obligations assumed by the transferee under the bond herein provided for, and shall confer upon the transferee all rights to the privileges provided for in this section and in sections 1562 and 1563 of this title which were vested in the transferor prior to the transfer. The transferee shall also have the right to receive all lawful refunds of money paid by him to the United States with respect to the merchandise the subject of the transfer, and shall have the right to file a protest under section 1514 of this title to the same extent that such right would have been available to the transferor. Notice of liquidation shall be given to the transferee in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. A transferee may further transfer the right to withdraw merchandise, subject to the provisions of this subsection relating to original transfers.
(c) Destruction of merchandise at request of con­signee
Merchandise entered under bond, under any provision of law, may, upon payment of all charges other than duty on the merchandise, be destroyed, at the request and at the expense of the consignee, within the bonded period under customs supervision, in lieu of exportation, and upon such destruction the entry of such merchandise shall be liquidated without payment of duty and any duties collected shall be refunded.
(d) Withdrawal before payment
Merchandise may be withdrawn for consumption without the payment of the duty thereon if the importer of record or transferee is permitted to pay duty at a later time pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary under section 1505 of this title.
(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 557, 46 Stat. 744; June 25, 1938, ch. 679, §§ 2, 22(a), 23(a), 52 Stat. 1077, 1087, 1088; Aug. 8, 1953, ch. 397, § 21(a), 67 Stat. 519; June 30, 1955, ch. 258, § 2(a) (4), 69 Stat. 242; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(t), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 91–685, § 1, Jan. 12, 1971, 84 Stat. 2069; Pub. L. 95–410, title I, § 108(a), (b)(1), Oct. 3, 1978, 92 Stat. 892; Pub. L. 97–446, title II, § 201(f), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2350; Pub. L. 103–182, title VI, § 665, Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2215; Pub. L. 106–36, title II, § 2409, June 25, 1999, 113 Stat. 171; Pub. L. 109–280, title XIV, § 1635(c), Aug. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 1170.)
heading: Prior Provisions
text: Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 557, 42 Stat. 977. That section was superseded by section 557 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.
Prior provisions dealing with the subject matter of this section were contained in the following statutes, all of which were repealed by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, §§ 642, 643, 42 Stat. 989:
Act Oct. 3, 1913, ch. 16, § III, S, 38 Stat. 189, reenacting the provisions of Customs Administrative Act of June 10, 1890, ch. 407, § 20, 26 Stat. 140, as amended by act Oct. 1, 1890, ch. 1244, § 54, 26 Stat. 624, and act Dec. 15, 1902, ch. 1, 32 Stat. 753, and as reenacted by Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, Aug. 5, 1909, ch. 6, § 28, 36 Stat. 101, and authorizing the withdrawal for consumption of merchandise deposited in any public or private bonded warehouse within three years from date of importation, on payment of duties and charges to which it might be subject at the time of such withdrawal;
Res. Sept. 5, 1916, ch. 441, 39 Stat. 725, extending the time for which merchandise for exportation to Mexico might remain in bonded warehouse;
R.S. § 2962, authorizing the deposit of merchandise, with specified exceptions, when duly entered and bonded for warehousing, in any public warehouse owned or leased by the United States, the private warehouse of the importer used exclusively for the storage of the importer’s warehoused merchandise, or a warehouse used as a general warehouse for the storage of warehoused merchandise; section 2964, providing that when the owner, etc., should make entry for warehousing, the collector should take possession and deposit the merchandise in the public stores, or in stores to be agreed on, there to be kept at the risk of the owner, importer, etc., and subject to their order, on payment of duties and expenses to be ascertained on entry, and secured by bond with surety; section 2970 (superseded by Customs Administrative Act of June 10, 1890, ch. 407, § 20, 26 Stat. 140), relative to the withdrawal of merchandise; section 2971, authorizing withdrawal for exportation, or transshipment to the Pacific Coast, and providing for exclusion of periods when exportation or transshipment should be prevented in computing the three years; section 2977 relative to return of duties on merchandise upon which duties had been paid; section 3000 authorizing withdrawal and transportation to a bonded warehouse in another district and rewarehousing thereat; section 3001, as amended by act Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69, § 1, 19 Stat. 247, authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe the form of bond to be given for transportation under the preceding section, and the time for delivery, and imposing a penalty and providing for forfeiture for failure to transport and deliver within the time limited; sections 3002 and 3003, as amended by act Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69, § 1, 19 Stat. 247, and section 3004, as amended by act Sept. 25, 1890, ch. 917, § 2, 26 Stat. 470, authorizing withdrawal for exportation to Mexico by certain routes, and through certain ports;
R.S. § 2967, which provided that merchandise imported into the port of Louisville, and destined for Jeffersonville, might be landed and warehoused at Jeffersonville, was superseded by the Plan of Reorganization of the Customs Service set out in a note to section 1 of this title, and repealed by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 642, 42 Stat. 989.
heading: Amendments
text: 2006—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–280, § 1635(c)(1)(A), inserted “, or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown” after “date of importation” in second sentence of introductory provisions.
Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 109–280, § 1635(c)(1)(B), inserted “or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown” after “date of importation”.
Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 109–280, § 1635(c)(2), inserted “, or such longer period of time as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection may at its discretion permit upon proper request being filed and good cause shown,” after “date of importation”.
1999—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 106–36 inserted “(including international travel merchandise)” after “Any merchandise subject to duty” in first sentence of introductory provisions.
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–182 designated first two sentences as par. (1), substituted “; except that—” along with subpars. (A) and (B) for “: Provided, That the total period of time for which such merchandise may remain in bonded warehouse shall not exceed 5 years from the date of importation.”, and designated remaining portion of subsec. (a) as par. (2).
1983—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–446, § 201(f)(1), inserted “purchaser” after “risk of the owner”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–446, § 201(f)(2), substituted “importer of record” for “consignee” before “or transferee”.
1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–410, § 108(b)(1), substituted “5 years” for “three years” wherever appearing.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–410, § 108(a), added subsec. (d).
1971—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–685 substituted provisions which granted the transferee the right to file a protest under section 1514 of this title to the same extent that such right would have been available to the transferor and required notice of liquidation to be given the transferee in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for former provisions which denied the transferee the right to file any protest under section 1514 of this title except as to decisions with respect to his rights under subsec. (c) of this section or under section 1562 or 1563 of this title or against a decision as to the rate or amount of duty, tax, charge, or exaction when such rate or amount has been changed by statute or proclamation on or after the date of the transfer, or the right to file an appeal for reappraisement under section 1501 of this title, except when subsequent to the transfer and before a withdrawal for consumption has been deposited for the merchandise, it has been charge changed in condition pursuant to section 1311 or 1562 of this title in a manner which necessitates that it be appraised in its changed condition in order that the correct amount of duties may be assessed, and prohibited any new or separate liquidation, reliquidation, or determination to be made in name of, or on behalf of, a transferee, except with regard to any matter which may arise under subsec. (c) of this section or section 1562 or 1563 of this title when the transferee has invoked either of these sections, and in the case of a statutory or proclaimed change in the rate of duty, tax, charge, or exaction applicable to the merchandise the subject of the transfer and effective on or after the date of the transfer.
1970—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–271 substituted “a protest contesting an appraisement decision in accordance with section 1514 of this title” for “an appeal for reappraisement under section 1501 of this title”.
1955—Subsec. (a). Act June 30, 1955, inserted “Johnston Island” in two places.
1953—Subsec. (b). Act Aug. 8, 1953, provided that all transfers shall be irrevocable; that in the case of each transfer the transferee shall file a bond undertaking to pay all unpaid duties, taxes, charges, and exactions on the merchandise the subject of the transfer; and that a transferee shall have no right to file a protest under section 1514 of this title, or to a separate liquidation in his behalf, unless the rate of duty, tax, charge, or exaction has been changed pursuant to statute or proclamation after the right to withdraw the merchandise was transferred to him.
1938—Act June 25, 1938, amended section generally, and among other changes, inserted “Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef” before “or the island of Guam,” and struck out “(or ten months in the case of grain)” wherever appearing.
heading: Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 109–280 applicable with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the 15th day after Aug. 17, 2006, see section 1641 of Pub. L. 109–280, set out as a note under section 58c of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1983 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 97–446 applicable with respect to merchandise entered on and after 30th day after Jan. 12, 1983, see section 201(g) of Pub. L. 97–446, set out as a note under section 1484 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 95–410, title I, § 108(b)(2), Oct. 3, 1978, 92 Stat. 892, provided that: “For purposes of applying the amendments made by paragraph (1) [amending this section and section 1559 of this title] to merchandise remaining in a bonded warehouse on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 3, 1978], any period of time the merchandise was in the bonded warehouse before that date shall be disregarded.”
heading: Effective Date of 1971 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 91–685, § 2, Jan. 12, 1971, 84 Stat. 2069, provided that: “The amendment made by the first section of this Act [amending this section] shall apply with respect to articles entered for warehousing on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 12, 1971].”
heading: Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
text: For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 91–271, see section 203 of Pub. L. 91–271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1955 Amendment
text: Amendment by act June 30, 1955, effective July 1, 1955, see note set out under section 1401 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1953 Amendment
text: Act Aug. 8, 1953, ch. 397, § 21(b), 67 Stat. 520, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act [amending this section and sections 258, 1001, 1201, 1304, 1308, 1309, 1313, 1315, 1317, 1321, 1431, 1439, 1440, 1482, 1484, 1486, 1487, 1489, 1498, 1501, 1503, 1508, 1520, 1523, and 1562 of this title, enacting sections 1322 and 1646a of this title, and repealing sections 33 to 35, 39, 42 to 45, 273, 274, 472 to 475, 1320, and 1503a of this title], the foregoing subsection (a) shall be effective with respect to merchandise entered after the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 8, 1953] and to merchandise which has been entered before that date and is the subject of a transfer within the purview of section 557(b) of the Tariff Act [subsec. (b) of this section], as amended by this Act, and made after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
heading: Effective Date of 1938 Amendment
text: Act June 25, 1938, ch. 679, § 22(b), 52 Stat. 1088, provided that: “On and after the effective date of this Act [see note set out under section 1401 of this title], this section [amending this section] shall be effective with respect to merchandise entered for warehouse prior to, as well as after, such date.”
Act June 25, 1938, ch. 679, § 23(b), 52 Stat. 1088, provided that: “The amendments made by subsection (a) of this section [amending this section and sections 1559 and 1563 of this title] shall apply in the case of grain imported prior to the effective date of this act [see note set out under section 1401 of this title] which, on such date, has not become abandoned to the Government under section 491 or 559 of the Tariff Act of 1930 [section 1491 or 1559 of this title], and which has remained in the custody of customs officers.”
heading: Savings Provision
text: Savings provision of act Aug. 8, 1953, which amended subsec. (b) of this section, see note set out under section 1304 of this title.
heading: Extension of Three-Year Period
text: For extension of three year period prescribed in this section, see Proc. No. 2948, Oct. 12, 1951, 16 F.R. 10589, 65 Stat. c41, set out as a note under section 1318 of this title.
Proc. No. 2599, Nov. 6, 1943, 8 F.R. 15359, 57 Stat. 758, as amended by Proc. No. 2712, Dec. 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 14133, 61 Stat. 1047, superseded by Proc. No. 2948, Oct. 12, 1951, 16 F.R. 10589, 65 Stat. c41.
heading: Appropriations
text: Act June 26, 1934, ch. 756, § 2, 48 Stat. 1225, which was classified to section 725a of former Title 31, Money and Finance, repealed the permanent appropriation under the title “Debentures or drawbacks, bounties, or allowances (Customs) (2x321)” effective July 1, 1935, and provided that such portions of any Acts as make permanent appropriations to be expended under such account are amended so as to authorize, in lieu thereof, annual appropriations from the general fund of the Treasury in identical terms and in such amounts as now provided by the laws providing such permanent appropriations.