CFR

18.6—Short shipments; shortages; entry and allowance.

(a) When there has been a short shipment and the short-shipped packages are subsequently received, they may be forwarded only under a new transportation entry referenced to the original entry.

(b) When there is a shortage of one or more packages, or nondelivery of an entire shipment, or delivery to unauthorized locations, or delivery to the consignee without the permission of Customs, the port director may demand return of the merchandise to Customs custody. The demand shall be made no later than 30 days after the shortage, delivery, or nondelivery is discovered by Customs. The demand for the return of the merchandise to Customs custody shall be made on the bonded carrier, cartman, or lighterman identified on the Transportation Entry and Manifest of Goods Subject to Customs Inspection and Permit, Customs Form 7512, the Transit Air Cargo Manifest (TACM), or other appropriate document. The demand for the return of the merchandise shall be made on Customs Form 4647, Notice of Redelivery, or other appropriate form or by letter. A copy of the demand with the date of mailing or delivery noted thereon, shall be retained by the port director and made part of the in-bond entry record. Entry of the merchandise may be accepted if the merchandise can be recovered intact without any of the packages having been opened. In such cases, any shortage from the invoice quantity shall be presumed to have occurred while the merchandise was in the possession of the bonded carrier.

(c) If the merchandise cannot be recovered intact, as specified above, entry shall be accepted in accordance with § 141.4 of this chapter for the full manifested quantity unless a lesser amount is otherwise permitted in accordance with subpart A of part 158. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, if the merchandise is not returned to Customs custody within 30 days of the date of mailing or date of delivery of the demand for redelivery, there shall be sent to the initial bonded carrier a demand for liquidated damages on Customs Form 5955-A, in the case of nondelivery of an entire shipment or on Customs Form 5931, in the case of a partial shortage.

(d) If merchandise covered by a carnet cannot be recovered intact, as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, entry shall not be accepted; there shall be sent to the appropriate guaranteeing association a demand for liquidated damages, duties, and taxes as prescribed in § 18.8(e); and, if appropriate, there shall also be sent to the initial bonded carrier a demand for any excess, as provided in § 114.22(d) of this chapter. Demands shall be made on the forms specified in paragraph (c) of this section.

(e) An allowance in duty on merchandise reported short at destination, including merchandise found by the appraising officer to be damaged and worthless, and animals and birds found by the discharging officer to be dead on arrival at destination, shall be made in the liquidation of the entry.

(f) In the case of shipments arriving in the United States by rail or seatrain which are forwarded under Customs in-bond seals under the provisions of subpart D of part 123 of this chapter, and § 18.11, or § 18.20, a notation shall be made by the carrier or shipper on the in-bond manifest, Customs Form 7512, to show whether the shipment was transferred to the car designated in the manifest or whether it was laden in the car in the foreign country, which shall be named.

Code of Federal Regulations

[T.D. 71-70, 36 FR 4487, Mar. 6, 1971, as amended by T.D. 82-116, 47 FR 27261, June 24, 1982; T.D. 82-158, 47 FR 37881, Aug. 27, 1982; T.D. 84-213, 49 FR 41168, Oct. 19, 1984; T.D. 85-180, 50 FR 42517, Oct. 21, 1985; T.D. 97-82, 62 FR 51770, Oct. 3, 1997]

Tips