§44. Bonds of importers; examination; importations at ports having no examiner

On making entry at the customhouse of all teas, or merchandise described as tea, imported into the United States, the importer or consignee shall give a bond to the collector of the port that such merchandise shall not be removed from the warehouse until released by the collector, after it shall have been duly examined with reference to its purity, quality, and fitness for consumption. For the purpose of such examination samples of each line in every invoice of tea shall be submitted by the importer or consignee to the examiner, together with the sworn statement of such importer or consignee that such samples represent the true quality of each and every part of the invoice and accord with the specifications therein contained; or in the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, such samples shall be obtained by the examiner and compared by him with the standards established by this chapter. In cases where said tea, or merchandise described as tea, is entered at ports where there is no qualified examiner as provided in section 46 of this title, the consignee or importer shall in the manner aforesaid furnish under oath a sample of each line of tea to the collector or other revenue officer to whom is committed the collection of duties, and said officer shall also draw or cause to be drawn samples of each line in every invoice and shall forward the same to a duly qualified examiner as provided in said section. The bond required by this section shall also be conditioned for the payment of all customhouse charges which may attach to such merchandise prior to its being released or destroyed (as the case may be) under the provisions of this chapter.

(Mar. 2, 1897, ch. 358, §4, 29 Stat. 605 ; May 31, 1920, ch. 217, 41 Stat. 712 ; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. IV, §12, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2421, 54 Stat. 1237; 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 1, §5, eff. Apr. 11, 1953, 18 F.R. 2053, 67 Stat. 631; Oct. 17, 1979, Pub. L. 96–88, title V, §509(b), 93 Stat. 695 .)

Change of Name

"Secretary of Health and Human Services" substituted in text for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions of Federal Security Administrator to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare [now Health and Human Services], and of Food and Drug Administration to Federal Security Agency, see Transfer of Functions note set out under section 41 of this title.

All offices of collector of customs in Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treasury ordered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than Dec. 31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1965, eff. May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. All functions of offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, also set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 45, 46 of this title.