19 CFR 151.15 – Movement of merchandise to a centralized examination station
(a) Permission to transfer merchandise for examination. When a shipment requires examination at a centralized examination station (CES), Customs Form 3461, or Customs Form 3461 (ALT), or their electronic equivalents, for land border cargo, or an attachment to either, may be used to request permission to transfer the merchandise to a CES. The entry filer must write, type or stamp the following lines on the form or attachment, and must supply the information called for on the first three lines:
Terms Used In 19 CFR 151.15
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- CBP: means U. See 19 CFR 101.1
- Importer: means the person primarily liable for the payment of any duties on the merchandise, or an authorized agent acting on his behalf. See 19 CFR 101.1
- port director: means the person who has jurisdiction within the geographical boundaries of their port of entry unless the regulations provide that particular trade functions or determinations are exclusively within the purview of a Center Director or other CBP personnel. See 19 CFR 101.1
- Shipment: means the merchandise described on the bill of lading or other document used to file or support entry, or in the oral declaration when applicable. See 19 CFR 101.1
(b) Assumption of liability during transfer. Merchandise designated for examination may be transferred from the importing carrier’s point of unlading or from a bonded facility, to a CES, only if the transfer takes place under bond. The entry filer shall select one of the following bonded movements for the transfer to the CES unless the type of bonded movement to be used is specified by the port director under paragraph (d) of this section:
(1) If the merchandise is tranferred directly to a CES by an importing carrier, the importing carrier shall remain liable under the terms of its international carrier bond for the proper safekeeping and delivery of the merchandise until it is receipted for by the CES operator.
(2) If the merchandise is transferred directly from a bonded carrier’s facility to a CES or is delivered directly to the CES by a bonded carrier, the bonded carrier shall remain liable under the terms of its custodial bond for the proper safekeeping and delivery of the merchandise until it is receipted for by the CES operator.
(3) If containerized cargo, including excess loose cargo that is part of the containerized cargo, is transferred to a CES operator’s own facility using his own vehicles, the CES operator shall be liable under the terms of his custodial bond for the proper safekeeping and delivery of the merchandise to the CES facility.
(4) If the importer or his agent acting as importer of record transfers the merchandise to a CES, that importer or agent shall assume liability under his importation and entry bond (see § 151.7(d) of this part) for the proper transfer of the merchandise until it is receipted for by the CES operator.
(c) Annual blanket transfer. Port directors may institute an annual blanket transfer application procedure to facilitate any of the bonded movements described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(d) Designation of bonded movement and CES to be used. In the event the port director deems it necessary, he may direct the type of bonded movement to be used to transfer merchandise to a CES and may designate the CES at which examination must take place. In either case the port director’s action will be noted on the Customs Form 3461 or 3461 (ALT), or their electronic equivalents, or attachment thereto.