§1562. Manipulation in warehouse

Unless by special authority of the Secretary of the Treasury, no merchandise shall be withdrawn from bonded warehouse in less quantity than an entire bale, cask, box, or other package; or, if in bulk, in the entire quantity imported or in a quantity not less than one ton weight. All merchandise so withdrawn shall be withdrawn in the original packages in which imported unless, upon the application of the importer, it appears to be the appropriate customs officer that it is necessary to the safety or preservation of the merchandise to repack or transfer the same; except that upon permission therefor being granted by the Secretary of the Treasury, and under customs supervision, at the expense of the proprietor, merchandise may be cleaned, sorted, repacked, or otherwise changed in condition, but not manufactured, in bonded warehouses established for that purpose and be withdrawn therefrom-

(1) without payment of duties for exportation to a NAFTA country, as defined in section 3301(4) of this title, if the merchandise is of a kind described in any of paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 3333(a) of this title;

(2) for exportation to a NAFTA country if the merchandise consists of goods subject to NAFTA drawback, as defined in section 3333(a) of this title, except that-

(A) the merchandise may not be withdrawn from warehouse without assessment of a duty on the merchandise in its condition and quantity, and at its weight, at the time of withdrawal from the warehouse with such additions to or deductions from the final appraised value as may be necessary by reason of change in condition, and

(B) duty shall be paid on the merchandise before the 61st day after the date of exportation, but upon the presentation, before such 61st day, of satisfactory evidence of the amount of any customs duties paid to the NAFTA country on the merchandise, the customs duty may be waived or reduced (subject to section 1508(b)(2)(B) of this title) in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of-

(i) the total amount of customs duties paid or owed on the merchandise on importation into the United States, or

(ii) the total amount of customs duties paid on the merchandise to the NAFTA country;

(3) without payment of duties for exportation to any foreign country other than to a NAFTA country or to Canada when exports to that country are subject to paragraph (4);

(4) without payment of duties for exportation to Canada (if that country ceases to be a NAFTA country and the suspension of the operation of the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement thereafter terminates), but the exemption from the payment of duties under this paragraph applies only in the case of an exportation during the period such Agreement is in operation of merchandise that-

(A) is only cleaned, sorted, or repacked in a bonded warehouse, or

(B) is a drawback eligible good under section 204(a) of the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 1988; and

(5) without payment of duties for shipment to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Island, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island or the island of Guam.

Merchandise may be withdrawn from bonded warehouse for consumption, or for exportation to Canada if the duty exemption under paragraph (4) of the preceding sentence does not apply, upon the payment of duties accruing thereon, in its condition and quantity, and at its weight, at the time of withdrawal from warehouse, with such additions to or deductions from the final appraised value as may be necessary by reason of change in condition. The basis for the assessment of duties on such merchandise so withdrawn for consumption shall be the adjusted final appraised value, and if the rate of duty is based upon or regulated in any manner by the value of the merchandise, such rate shall be based upon or regulated by such adjusted final appraised value. The scouring or carbonizing of wool shall not be considered a process of manufacture within the provisions of this section. Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe, imported merchandise which has been entered and which has remained in continuous customs custody may be manipulated in accordance with the provisions of this section under customs supervision and at the risk and expense of the consignee, but elsewhere than in a bonded warehouse, in cases where neither the protection of the revenue nor the proper conduct of customs business requires that such manipulation be done in bonded warehouse.

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, §562, 46 Stat. 745 ; June 25, 1938, ch. 679, §§2, 25, 52 Stat. 1077 , 1088; Aug. 8, 1953, ch. 397, §18(f), 67 Stat. 518 ; June 30, 1955, ch. 258, §2(a)(5), 69 Stat. 242 ; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, §301(b), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 287 ; Pub. L. 100–449, title II, §204(c)(4), Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1863 ; Pub. L. 103–182, title II, §203(b)(4), Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2090 .)

References in Text

Section 204 of the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 1988, referred to in par. (4)(B), is section 204 of Pub. L. 100–449, which is set out in a note under section 2112 of this title.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, §562, 42 Stat. 978 . That section was superseded by section 562 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

Prior provisions substantially the same, in effect, as those in this section with respect to the quantity of merchandise which might be withdrawn, were contained in R.S. §2980, prior to repeal by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, §642, 42 Stat. 989 .

Amendments

1993-Pub. L. 103–182 substituted "be withdrawn therefrom-" for "be withdrawn therefrom without payment of duties-" in second sentence, substituted "paragraph (4) of the preceding sentence" for "paragraph (1) of the preceding sentence" in third sentence, added pars. (1) to (5), and struck out former pars. (1) to (3) which read as follows:

"(1) for exportation to Canada, but on or after January 1, 1994, or such later date as may be proclaimed by the President under section 204(b)(2)(B) of the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 1988, such exemption from the payment of duties applies only in the case of the exportation to Canada of merchandise that-

"(A) is only cleaned, sorted, or repacked in a bonded warehouse, or

"(B) is a drawback eligible good under section 204(a) of such Act of 1988;

"(2) for exportation to any foreign country except Canada; and

"(3) for shipment to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Island, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island or the island of Guam."

1988-Pub. L. 100–449 substituted the except clause and following sentence for proviso at end of second section which read as follows: ": Provided, That upon permission therefor being granted by the Secretary of the Treasury, and under customs supervision, at the expense of the proprietor, merchandise may be cleaned, sorted, repacked, or otherwise changed in condition, but not manufactured, in bonded warehouses established for that purpose and be withdrawn therefrom for exportation to a foreign country or for shipment to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island, or the island of Guam, without payment of the duties, or for consumption, upon payment of the duties accruing thereon, in its condition and quantity, and at its weight, at the time of withdrawal from warehouse, with such additions to or deductions from the final appraised value as may be necessary by reason of change in condition."

1970-Pub. L. 91–271 substituted reference to appropriate customs officer for reference to collector.

1955-Act June 30, 1955, inserted "Johnston Island".

1953-Act Aug. 8, 1953, in third sentence struck out "the entered value or" after "consumption shall be", "whichever is higher," after "the adjusted final appraised value,", and "; but for the purpose of the ascertainment and assessment of additional duties under section 1489 of this chapter adjustments of the final appraised value shall be disregarded" after "such adjusted final appraised value".

1938-Act June 25, 1938, inserted sentence providing for manipulation of imported merchandise entering and remaining in continuous customs custody in cases where neither the protection of the revenue nor proper conduct of business requires such manipulation be done in a bonded warehouse, and inserted "Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef" before "or the island of Guam".

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–182 applicable (1) with respect to exports from the United States to Canada on Jan. 1, 1996, if Canada is a NAFTA country on that date and after such date for so long as Canada continues to be a NAFTA country and (2) with respect to exports from the United States to Mexico on Jan. 1, 2001, if Mexico is a NAFTA country on that date and after such date for so long as Mexico continues to be a NAFTA country, see section 213(c) of Pub. L. 103–182, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3331 of this title.

Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–449 effective on date the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement enters into force (Jan. 1, 1989), and to cease to have effect on date Agreement ceases to be in force, see section 501(a), (c) of Pub. L. 100–449, set out in a note under section 2112 of this title.

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

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.

Effective Date of 1955 Amendment

Amendment by act June 30, 1955, effective July 1, 1955, see note set out under section 1401 of this title.

Effective Date of 1953 Amendment; Savings Provision

Amendment by act Aug. 8, 1953, effective on and after thirtieth day following Aug. 8, 1953, and savings provision, see notes set out under section 1304 of this title.

Effective Date of 1938 Amendment

Amendment by act June 25, 1938, effective on thirtieth day following June 25, 1938, except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 37 of act June 25, 1938, set out as a note under section 1401 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1503, 1508 of this title.