Merchandise released under a special permit for immediate delivery shall be subject to the same procedures applicable to all other imported merchandise, unless specific procedures are set forth in this subpart.

Merchandise may be released under a special permit for immediate delivery, in accordance with section 448(b), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1448(b)), in the following circumstances:

(a) Contiguous countries. At the discretion of the port director, merchandise arriving by land from Canada or Mexico may be released under a special permit for immediate delivery provided the importer has on file a bond on CBP Form 301, containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter. An entry summary shall be filed in accordance with § 142.22(b)(1), and estimated duties, if any, shall be deposited, within the time period specified in § 142.23 for all merchandise from contiguous countries released under a special permit except for fresh fruits and vegetables for human consumption released under the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Fresh fruits and vegetables. (1) An application for a special permit for immediate delivery may be made for the transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables for human consumption arriving from Canada or Mexico to the importer's premises within the port of importation, but removed from the area immediately contiguous to the border.

(2) The application shall be accompanied by a continuous bond on CBP Form 301, containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter.

(3) The fresh fruits and vegetables shall be transported to the importer's premises in the vehicles in which they crossed the border or, if transshipment is necessary in vehicles provided by the importer. The fresh fruits and vegetables may be examined at the importer's premises. Those portions without commercial value may be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of § 158.11(b) of this chapter, and the balance shall be entered for consumption or transported in bond under an entry for immediate transportation without appraisement or under an entry for transportation and exportation.

(c) Agency of U.S. Government. Merchandise may be released under the immediate delivery procedure if the shipment is consigned to or for the account of any agency or office of the United States Government, or to an officer or official of any such agency in his official capacity, as provided in § 10.101 of this chapter.

(d) Articles of a trade fair. Articles for a trade fair may be released under the immediate delivery procedure, as provided in § 147.13 of this chapter.

(e) Quota-class merchandise—(1) Tariff rate quotas. At the discretion of the port director, merchandise subject to a tariff-rate quota may be released under a special permit for immediate delivery provided the importer has on file a bond on CBP Form 301, containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter. However, merchandise subject to a tariff-rate quota may not be incrementally released under a special permit for immediate delivery as provided in paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section. Nor is such merchandise eligible for release under a special permit pursuant to 19 CFR 141.58(d)(1). Where a special permit is authorized, an entry summary will be properly presented pursuant to § 132.1 of this chapter within the time specified in § 142.23, or within the quota period, whichever expires first. If proper presentation is not made until after the tariff-rate quota is filled, the merchandise shall not be entitled to the quota rate of duty, and the importer shall pay duties at the over-quota rate.

(2) Absolute quotas. At the discretion of the port director, perishable merchandise of a class approved by CBP Headquarters which is subject to an absolute quota may be released under a special permit for immediate delivery for removal to the importer's premises, or to any other location approved by the port director, until an entry summary is properly presented pursuant to § 132.1 of this chapter. However, merchandise subject to an absolute quota under this paragraph may not be incrementally released under a special permit for immediate delivery as provided in paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section. Nor is such merchandise eligible for release under a special permit pursuant to § 141.58(d)(1) of this chapter. Where a special permit is authorized, a proper entry summary must be presented for merchandise so released within the time specified in § 142.23, or within the quota period, whichever expires first. If the absolute quota is filled before the importer has properly presented an entry summary, he may either present an entry summary for warehouse or, under CBP supervision, export or destroy the merchandise.

(f) Release from warehouse followed by warehouse withdrawal for consumption. Merchandise may be released from warehouse under a special permit:

(1) At the discretion of the port director when:

(i) The warehouse is located a considerable distance from the customhouse and actual release of the merchandise from the warehouse may not be effected within the next full business day after the day of the payment of duty, and

(ii) The port has sufficient manpower to permit such practice;

(2) The importer shall have on file a bond on CBP Form 301, containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter; and

(3) The immediate delivery permit shall be annotated to state that a warehouse withdrawal for consumption will be filed for this merchandise.

(g) Split shipments. Merchandise subject to § 141.57(d)(2) of this chapter, which is invoiced and delivered to the carrier as a single shipment, but which, due to the carrier's inability to accommodate the merchandise on a single conveyance, is shipped by the carrier in separate portions to the same port of entry in the United States as listed on the original bill of lading, may be released incrementally under a special permit. Incremental release means releasing each portion of such shipments separately as they arrive.

(h) Entities shipped unassembled or disassembled on multiple conveyances. Merchandise subject to § 141.58(d)(2) of this chapter, which is purchased, invoiced, and classified as a single entity under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), and which is shipped in separate portions because its size or nature prevents shipping the entity on a single conveyance, may be released incrementally under a special permit.

(i) When authorized by Headquarters. Headquarters may authorize the release of merchandise under the immediate delivery procedure in circumstances other than those described in § 142.21(a) through (h) provided a bond on CBP Form 301 containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter is on file.

(a) Form. An application for a special permit for immediate delivery will be made on CBP Form 3461, or its electronic equivalent, supported by the documentation provided for in § 142.3. A commercial invoice will not be required, except for merchandise released under the provisions of 19 U.S.C. 1484(j). Instead of a commercial invoice, the importer may deliver to CBP a pro forma invoice, waybill, or other document setting forth an adequate description of the merchandise and the quantities, together with the values or approximate values when values are needed for the purpose of examination. If the merchandise is to be released under a term special permit, the documentation also shall show the term special permit number, as provided for in § 142.24.

(b) CBP custody. Merchandise for which a special permit for immediate delivery has been issued under § 142.21 of this part shall be considered to remain in CBP custody until the filing of one of the following:

(1) An entry summary for consumption, with estimated duties attached; an entry summary for consumption without estimated duties attached, if entry/entry summary information and a valid scheduled statement date (pursuant to § 24.25 of this chapter) have successfully been received by CBP via the Automated Broker Interface; an entry summary for warehouse; or an entry summary for entry temporarily under bond, which may be filed in any of the circumstances under § 142.21 of this part except for merchandise released from warehouse under § 142.21(f) of this part;

(2) A withdrawal for consumption, with estimated duties attached, which shall be filed only for merchandise released from warehouse under § 142.21(f) of this part;

(3) An entry for transportation and exportation, immediate transportation without appraisement, or direct exportation, which shall be filed in those circumstances under § 142.21(b) and (e)(2) of this part; or entry for transportation and exportation, or direct exportation, which shall be filed in the circumstances under § 142.28 of this part or

(4) An application to destroy, which shall be filed in those circumstances under §§ 142.21(b) and (e)(2), and § 142.28 of this part.

The applicable documentation described in § 142.22(b) shall be filed, and estimated duties, if any, shall be deposited, within 10 working days after the merchandise or any part of the merchandise is authorized for release under a special permit for immediate delivery or, for quota class merchandise within the quota period, whichever expires first.

(a) Conditions for issuance. At the discretion of the port director, a special permit for immediate delivery may be issued on Customs Form 3461, or its electronic equivalent, appropriately modified, for a class or classes of merchandise particularly described in the application for the permit.

(b) Notation of value for each shipment. When applying for the release of a shipment of merchandise under a special permit for immediate delivery, the importer shall note a value for the shipment on the documentation presented. The value so noted shall not be less than the invoice value.

(a) Authority of port director. The port director may discontinue immediate delivery privileges if the importer:

(1) Has failed repeatedly to file the applicable Customs documentation set forth in § 142.22(b) timely without justification, or

(2) Has not taken prompt action to settle a claim for liquidated damages issued under § 142.27 for failure to file the applicable Customs documentation set forth in § 142.22(b) timely, or a claim for liquidated damages issued under the basic importation and entry bond for failure to deposit estimated duties, taxes and charges timely, as provided in such bond. “Prompt action” means that the importer, within the time specified in a claim for liquidated damages shall petition for relief or pay the amount claimed and, file the applicable documentation and deposit estimated duties, if any.

(3) Has repeatedly delivered documentation required by § 142.22(b) which is incomplete or which contains erroneous information.

(4) Is substantially or habitually delinquent in the payment of Customs bills. See § 142.26.

(b) Brokers; restriction. A broker shall not circumvent an action taken under this section by applying for the immediate release of the importer's merchandise in the broker's name and under the broker's bond.

The following procedures shall be followed if an importer is substantially or habitually delinquent in the payment of Customs bills:

(a) Notice. The importer shall be advised in writing by the director of the port in which he is substantially or habitually delinquent that his immediate delivery privileges have been suspended. The notice shall state the reason for the action and advise the importer that if payment of all his delinquent Customs bills is not made within 10 working days from the date of the notice, the importer's immediate delivery privileges also shall be suspended at all Customs ports.

(b) Reinstatement of privileges by port. If the importer pays all his delinquent Customs bills within 10 working days after the date of the notice, the suspension shall be removed, and the importer's immediate delivery privileges shall be reinstated.

(c) Reinstatement of privileges by Headquarters. If the importer has not paid all his delinquent Customs bills within 10 working days after the date of the notice, his immediate delivery privileges shall be suspended at all Customs ports. This suspension shall remain in effect in each port of entry until notification is received from Headquarters that the suspension is removed and that the importer's immediate delivery privileges have been reinstated.

If the applicable Customs documentation set forth in § 142.22(b) is not filed within the time provided in § 142.23, the port director shall make an immediate demand for liquidated damages in the amount of the bond in the case of a single entry bond. When the transaction has been charged against a continuous bond, the demand shall be for the amount that would have been demanded if the merchandise had been released under a single entry bond. Any application for cancellation of liquidated damages incurred shall be made in accordance with part 172 of this chapter.

(a) Exportation or destruction of prohibited merchandise. If merchandise released under a special permit for immediate delivery later is found to be prohibited, an authorized CBP official shall demand its recall in accordance with § 141.113 of this chapter (applicable to the recall of merchandise released from Customs custody), and withdrawal or entry summary documentation and the deposit of estimated duties, if any, shall not be required provided:

(1) The merchandise is exported or destroyed under Customs supervision within the time limit for entry specified in § 142.23, or

(2) An entry for exportation or for transportation and exportation filed using an in-bond application pursuant to part 18 of this chapter, or an application to destroy the merchandise, is made within the specified time limit, and the exportation or destruction is accomplished promptly.

(b) Procedures for exportation or destruction. The exportation or destruction of prohibited merchandise required by paragraph (a) of this section shall be under the same procedures as exportation or destruction of prohibited merchandise covered by a consumption entry with remission or refund of duties. See §§ 158.41 and 158.45(c) of this chapter.

(c) Notation on exportation entry. An entry for exportation or for transportation and exportation of prohibited merchandise for which no entry summary for consumption has been filed shall be stamped or imprinted conspicuously with the legend: