Title 19
SECTION 18.8
18.8 Liability for not meeting in-bond requirements; liquidated damages; payment of taxes, duties, fees, and charges.
§ 18.8 Liability for not meeting in-bond requirements; liquidated damages; payment of taxes, duties, fees, and charges.(a) Liability. The party whose bond is obligated on the transportation entry will be liable for breach of any of the requirements found in this part, any other regulations governing the movement of merchandise in bond, and any of the other conditions specified in the bond. This includes, but is not limited to shortages, irregular delivery, or non-delivery, at the port of destination or port of exportation of the merchandise transported in-bond; the failure to export merchandise transported in bond pursuant to a transportation and exportation or immediate exportation entry; and, the failure to maintain intact seals or the unauthorized removal of seals. Appropriate commercial or government documentation may be provided to CBP as proof of delivery and/or exportation. Any loss found to exist at the port of destination or port of exportation will be presumed to have occurred while the merchandise was in the possession of the party whose bond was obligated under the transportation entry, unless conclusive evidence to the contrary is produced.
(b) Liquidated damages. (1) The party whose bond is obligated on the transportation entry is liable for payment of liquidated damages if there is a failure to comply with any of the requirements found in this part, any other regulations governing the movement of merchandise in bond, and any of the other conditions specified in the bond.
(2) Petition for relief. In any case in which liquidated damages are imposed in accordance with this section and CBP is satisfied by the evidence submitted with a petition for relief filed in accordance with the provisions of part 172 of this chapter that any violation of the terms and conditions of the bond occurred without any intent to evade any law or regulation, CBP may cancel such claim upon the payment of any lesser amount or without the payment of any amount as may be deemed appropriate under the law and in view of the circumstances.
(c) Taxes, duties, fees, and charges. In addition to the liquidated damages described in paragraph (b) of this section, the party whose bond is obligated on the transportation entry will be liable for any duties, taxes, and fees accruing to the United States on the missing merchandise, together with all costs, charges, and expenses, caused by the failure to make the required transportation, report, delivery, entry and/or exportation. The amount of duties, taxes, fees, and charges owed to the United States under this paragraph is not limited to the amount of the bond obligated on the transportation entry.
(d) Carnets - (1) TIR carnets. (i) The domestic guaranteeing association will be jointly and severally liable with the initial bonded carrier for duties, taxes, and fees accruing to the U.S., and any other charges imposed, in lieu thereof, as the result of any shortage, irregular delivery, or nondelivery at the port of destination or port of exportation of merchandise covered by a TIR carnet. The liability of the domestic guaranteeing association is limited to $50,000 per TIR carnet for duties, taxes, and sums collected in lieu thereof. Penalties imposed as liquidated damages against the initial bonded carrier, and sums assessed against the guaranteeing association in lieu of duties and taxes for any shortage, irregular delivery, or nondelivery will be in accordance with this section. If a TIR carnet has not been discharged or has been discharged subject to a reservation, the guaranteeing association will be notified within one year of the date upon which the carnet is taken on charge, including time for receipt of the notification, except that if the discharge was obtained improperly or fraudulently the period will be two years. However, in cases that become the subject of legal proceedings during the above-mentioned period, no claim for payment will be made more than one year after the date when the decision of the court becomes enforceable.
(ii) Within three months from the date demand for payment is made by the port director as provided by § 18.6(e), the guaranteeing association must pay the amount claimed, except that if the amount claimed exceeds the liability of the guaranteeing association under the carnet (see § 114.22(d) of this chapter), the carrier must pay the excess. The amount paid will be refunded if, within a period of one year from the date on which the claim for payment was made, it is established to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of CBP that no irregularity occurred. CBP may cancel liquidated damages assessed against the guaranteeing association to the extent authorized by paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) A.T.A. or TECRO/AIT carnets. The domestic guaranteeing association is jointly and severally liable with the initial bonded carrier for pecuniary penalties, liquidated damages, duties, fees, and taxes accruing to the United States and any other charges imposed as the result of any shortage, irregular delivery, failure to comply with sealing requirements in this part, and any non-delivery at the port of destination or port of exportation of merchandise covered by an A.T.A. or TECRO/AIT carnet. However, the liability of the guaranteeing association must not exceed the amount of the import duties by more than 10 percent. If an A.T.A. or TECRO/AIT carnet is unconditionally discharged with respect to certain goods, the guaranteeing association will no longer be liable on the carnet with respect to those goods unless it is subsequently discovered that the discharge of the carnet was obtained fraudulently or improperly or that there has been a breach of the conditions of temporary admission or of transit. No claim for payment will be made more than one year following the date of expiration of the validity of the carnet. The guaranteeing association will be allowed a period of six months from the date of any claim by the port director in which to furnish proof of the reexportation of the goods or of any other proper discharge of the A.T.A. or TECRO/AIT carnet. If such proof is not furnished within the time specified, the guaranteeing association must either deposit or provisionally pay the sums. The deposit or payment will become final three months after the date of the deposit or payment, during which time the guaranteeing association may still furnish proof of the reexportation of the goods to recover the sums deposited or paid.