[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 50, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 50CFR635.42]

[Page 254-255]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 635--ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart D--Restrictions on Imports
 
Sec. 635.42  Documentation requirements.

    (a)  Bluefin tuna imports. (1) Imports of all bluefin tuna products 
into the United States must be accompanied at the time of entry (filing 
of Customs Form 7501 or electronic equivalent) by an original completed 
approved BSD with the information and exporter's certification specified 
in Sec. 635.43(a). Customs Form 7501 can be obtained by contacting U.S. 
Customs at http://www.customs.treas.gov/order.htm. Such information must 
be validated as specified in Sec. 635.44(a) by a responsible government 
official of the country whose flag vessel caught the bluefin tuna 
(regardless of where the fish are first landed).
    (2) Bluefin tuna imported into the United States from a country 
requiring a BSD tag on all such bluefin tuna available for sale must be 
accompanied by the appropriate BSD tag issued by that country, and said 
BSD tag must remain on any bluefin tuna until it reaches its final 
import destination. If the final import destination is the United 
States, the BSD tag must remain on the bluefin tuna until it is cut into 
portions. If the bluefin tuna portions are subsequently packaged for 
domestic commercial use or re-export, the BSD tag number and the issuing 
country must be written legibly and indelibly on the outside of the 
package.
    (3) A dealer who sells bluefin tuna that was previously imported 
into the United States for domestic commercial use must provide on the 
original BSD that accompanied the import shipment the correct 
information and importer's certification specified in Sec. 635.43(a)(13) 
and must note on the top of the BSD the entry number assigned at the 
time of filing the entry summary. The original of the completed BSD must 
be postmarked and mailed, or faxed, by said dealer to NMFS at an address 
designated by NMFS within 24 hours of the time the bluefin tuna was 
imported into the United States.
    (b)  Bluefin tuna exports. (1) A dealer who exports bluefin tuna 
that was harvested by U.S. vessels and first landed in the United States 
must complete an original numbered BSD issued to that dealer by NMFS. 
Such an individually numbered document is not transferable and may be 
used only once by the dealer to which it was issued to report on a 
specific export shipment. A dealer must provide on the BSD the correct 
information and exporter certification specified in Sec. 635.43(a). The 
BSD must be validated as specified in Sec. 635.44(b). A list of such 
officials may be obtained by contacting NMFS. A dealer requesting U.S. 
Government validation for exports should notify NMFS as soon as possible 
after arrival of the vessel to avoid delays in inspection and validation 
of the export shipment.
    (2) A dealer who re-exports bluefin tuna that was previously 
imported into the United States through filing an entry summary (Customs 
Form 7501 or electronic equivalent) must provide on

[[Page 255]]

the original BSD that accompanied the import shipment the correct 
information and intermediate importer's certification specified in 
Sec. 635.43(a)(13) and must note on the top of the BSD the entry number 
assigned at the time of filing the entry summary. This requirement does 
not apply to bluefin tuna destined from one foreign country to another 
which transits the United States and for which an entry summary (Customs 
Form 7501 or electronic equivalent) is not filed and for which a 
Shipper's Export Declaration for in-transit merchandise (Customs Form 
7513 or electronic equivalent) is filed. Customs Form 7513 can be 
obtained by contacting U.S. Customs at http://www.customs.treas.gov/
order.htm.
    (3) A dealer must submit the original of the completed BSD to 
accompany the shipment of bluefin tuna to its export or re-export 
destination. A copy of the BSD completed as specified under paragraph 
(b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section must be postmarked and mailed by said 
dealer to NMFS, at an address designated by NMFS, within 24 hours of the 
time the bluefin tuna was exported or re-exported from the United 
States.
    (c) Recordkeeping. A dealer must retain at his or her principal 
place of business a copy of each BSD required to be submitted to NMFS 
pursuant to this section for a period of 2 years from the date on which 
it was submitted to NMFS.

[64 FR 29135, May 28, 1999, as amended at 66 FR 42805, Aug. 15, 2001]