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CBP Issues Proposed Rule to Change the In-Bond Process

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a proposed rule to make various changes to the in-bond regulations to enhance CBP's ability to regulate and track in-bond merchandise and to ensure that the in-bond merchandise is properly entered and duties are paid or that the in-bond merchandise is exported. Comments must be received on or before April 23, 2012.

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(Under CBP regulations, imported merchandise may be transported in-bond. This process allows imported merchandise to be entered at one U.S. port of entry without appraisement or payment of duties and transported by a bonded carrier to another U.S. port of entry provided all statutory and regulatory conditions are met. At the destination port, the merchandise is officially entered into the commerce of the United States and duties paid, or, the merchandise is exported.)

Proposed Changes Would Eliminate Paper Form, Require Add'l Info, Etc.

Among other things, CBP states the proposed changes would:

  • eliminate the paper in-bond application (CBP Form 7512) and require carriers or their agents to electronically file the in-bond application;
  • require additional information on the in-bond application including the six-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule number, if available, and information relevant to the safety and security of the in-bond merchandise;
  • establish a 30-day maximum time to transport in-bond merchandise between U.S. ports, for all modes of transportation except pipeline;
  • require carriers to electronically request permission from CBP before diverting the in-bond merchandise from its intended destination port to another port; and
  • require carriers to report the arrival and location of the in-bond merchandise within 24 hours of arrival at the port of destination or port of export.

CBP also proposes various other changes, including the restructuring of the in-bond regulations, so that they are more logical and better track the in-bond process. However, at this time, CBP is not proposing to change the in-bond procedures found in the air commerce regulations, except to change certain times periods to conform to the proposed changes in this document.

See future issue of ITT for detailed summary of this proposed rule.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12021359 for summary of a February 2012 CBP press release stating that this proposed rule would be published soon.

See ITT's Online Archives 12020814 for summary of an April 2011 presentation on proposed in-bond changes.)