[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 19, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 19CFR12.8]

[Page 216-217]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 12--SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 12.8  Inspection; bond; release.

    (a) All imported meat, meat-food products horse meat and horse meat-
food products offered for entry into the United States are subject to 
the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 
306, Tariff Act of 1930. The term ``meat and meat-food products,'' for 
the purpose of this section, shall include any imported article of food 
or any imported article which enters or may enter into the composition 
of food for human consumption, which is derived or prepared in whole or 
in part from any portion of the carcass of any cattle, sheep, swine, or 
goat, if such portion is all or a considerable and definite portion of 
the article, except such articles as organotherapeutic substances, meat 
juice, meat extract, and the like, which are only for medicinal purposes 
and are advertised only to the medical profession. Such meat, meat-food 
products, horse meat and horse meat-food products shall not be released 
from Customs custody prior to inspection by an inspector of the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, except when 
authority is given by such inspector for inspection at the importer's 
premises or other place not under Customs supervision. In such case a 
bond for the return to Customs custody of the merchandise shall be given 
by the consignee or agent on Customs Form 301, containing the bond 
conditions set forth in Sec. 113.62 of this chapter, and the conveyances 
or packages in which such merchandise is removed to the place of 
examination shall be sealed or corded and sealed by a customs officer or 
an inspector of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry 
Inspection, with import-meat seals furnished by the Department of 
Agriculture unless bearing United States Customs seals, or in the case 
of packages otherwise identified as provided for in this section. When 
cording is necessary for proper sealing, the cords shall be furnished 
and affixed by the importer or his agent. Import-meat seals or cords and 
seals may be broken only by a Customs officer or inspector of the Meat 
Inspection Division, Agricultural Research Service.

[[Page 217]]


In lieu of cording and sealing packages, the carrier or importer may 
furnish and attach to each package of product a warning notice on bright 
yellow paper, not less than 5 by 8 inches in size, containing the 
following legend in black type of a conspicuous size:

(Name of Truck Line or Carrier)

                                 Notice

    This package of meat or meat product must be delivered intact to an 
inspector of the Meat Inspection Division, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.

                                 Warning

    Failure to comply with these instructions will result in penalty 
action being taken against the holder of the Customs entry bond.
    If the product is found to be acceptable upon inspection the package 
will be marked ``U.S. Inspected and Passed'' and this warning notice 
defaced.
    (b) Liquidated damages assessed for breach of a bond taken under 
this section, if not in excess of the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures 
Officer's delegated authority, and if a written application for relief 
is filed, may be canceled by the port director upon the payment of less 
than the full amount as he shall deem appropriate, or without the 
payment of any amount, as may be deemed appropriate, but the Fines, 
Penalties, and Forfeitures Officer shall not act under this paragraph 
unless the officer in charge of the local office of the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Department of 
Agriculture, is in full agreement with the proposed action. If there is 
no local inspector of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and 
Poultry Inspection, the port director shall not act unless he has 
obtained the full agreement of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, 
Meat and Poultry Inspection in Washington.

[28 FR 14710, Dec. 31, 1963, as amended by T.D. 78-99, 43 FR 13060, Mar. 
29, 1978; T.D. 82-145, 47 FR 35476, Aug. 16, 1982; T.D. 84-213, 49 FR 
41167, Oct. 19, 1984; T.D. 89-1, 53 FR 51253, Dec. 21, 1988; T.D. 99-27, 
64 FR 13675, Mar. 22, 1999; T.D. 99-64, 64 FR 43265, Aug. 10, 1999; T.D. 
00-57, 65 FR 53574, Sept. 5, 2000]