[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: 19CFR18.6]

[Page 277-278]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
  CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 18--TRANSPORTATION IN BOND AND MERCHANDISE IN TRANSIT--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 18.6  Short shipments; shortages; entry and allowance.

    (a) When there has been a short shipment and the short-shipped 
packages

[[Page 278]]

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 Sec. 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 Sec. 18.8(e); and, if appropriate, there shall also be 
sent to the initial bonded carrier a demand for any excess, as provided 
in Sec. 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 Sec. 18.11, or 
Sec. 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.

[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]