Any entered or unentered merchandise (except merchandise under section 557, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1557), but including merchandise entered for transportation in bond or for exportation) which remains in Customs custody for 6 months from the date of importation or a lesser period for special merchandise as provided by § 127.28 (c), (d), and (h), and without all estimated duties and storage or other charges having been paid, shall be considered unclaimed and abandoned.

(a) Involuntarily abandoned merchandise. The following shall be considered to be involuntarily abandoned merchandise:

(1) Articles entered for a trade fair under the provisions of section 3 of the Trade Fair Act of 1959 (19 U.S.C. 1752), which are still in Customs custody at the expiration of 3 months after the closing date of the fair for which they were entered. (See § 147.47 of this chapter.)

(2) Any imported merchandise upon which any duties or charges are unpaid, remaining in a bonded warehouse beyond the 5-year warehouse period.

(b) Voluntarily abandoned merchandise. The following merchandise shall be considered to be voluntarily abandoned merchandise and the property of the United States Government:

(1) Merchandise which is taken possession of by the port director at the request of the consignee, or owner or master of the vessel or person in charge of the vehicle in which the merchandise was imported.

(2) Merchandise abandoned by the importer to the United States within 30 days after entry in the case of merchandise not sent to the public stores for examination, or within 30 days after the release of the examination packages or merchandise in the case of merchandise sent to the public stores for examination.

(3) Articles entered for a trade fair under the provisions of section 3 of the Trade Fair Act of 1959 (19 U.S.C. 1752), which have been abandoned to the United States within 3 months of the closing of the fair.

(4) Merchandise in a bonded warehouse abandoned by the consignee within 3 years from the date of original importation. (See subpart D of part 158 of this chapter.)

(a) Place of storage. A class 11 bonded warehouse or warehouse of class 3, 4, or 5, certified by the port director as qualified to receive general order merchandise, will be responsible for the transportation and storage of unclaimed and abandoned merchandise, upon due notification to the proprietor of the warehouse by the arriving carrier (or other party to whom the carrier has transferred the merchandise under a Customs-authorized permit to transfer or in-bond entry), as provided in §§ 4.37(c), 122.50(c), and 123.10(c) of this chapter. If no warehouse of these classes is available to receive general order merchandise, or if the merchandise requires specialized storage facilities which are unavailable in a bonded facility, the port director, after having received notice of the presence of unentered merchandise or baggage in accordance with the provisions of this section, will direct the storage of the merchandise by the carrier or by any other appropriate means.

(b) Payment of storage and expenses. Storage at the ordinary rates and all other expenses shall be paid by the owner or consignee of the merchandise upon entry thereof. If the goods are sold, such charges shall be paid from the proceeds of the sale to the extent that proceeds are available.

(a) Merchandise subject to sale or other disposition—(1) General. If storage or other charges due the United States have not been paid on merchandise remaining in Customs custody after the expiration of the bond period in the case of merchandise entered for warehouse, or after the expiration of the general order period, as defined in § 127.4, in any other case, even though any duties due have been paid, such merchandise will be sold as provided in subpart C of this part, retained for official use as provided in subpart E of this part, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of as authorized by the Commissioner of Customs under the law, unless the merchandise is entered or withdrawn for consumption in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(2) Destruction of merchandise—(i) Proprietor responsibility. If the port director concludes that merchandise in general order has no commercial value or is otherwise unsalable and cannot be disposed of at public auction (see § 127.29), and that its destruction is warranted, the warehouse proprietor must assume responsibility under bond, including the expense, for destroying the merchandise (see § 113.63(c)(3) of this chapter). The port director will authorize such destruction on Customs Form (CF) 3499, or on a similar Customs document as designated by the port director or an electronic equivalent as authorized by Customs.

(ii) Notice of destruction. Before destroying the merchandise, the warehouse proprietor must first make a reasonable effort under bond (see § 113.63(b) and (c) of this chapter), to identify and inform the importer (owner) or consignee regarding the intended destruction of the merchandise. When the appropriate party is identified, notice of destruction will be provided to the party on Customs Form (CF) 5251, appropriately modified, or other similar Customs document as designated by the port director or an electronic equivalent as authorized by Customs, at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of intended destruction.

(b) Entry of merchandise subject to sale. Merchandise subject to sale (except merchandise abandoned under section 506(1) or 563(b), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1506(1), 1563(b))), may be entered or withdrawn for consumption at any time prior to the sale upon payment of the duties, any internal revenue tax, and all charges and expenses that may have accrued thereon. Such merchandise may not be exported without payment of duty nor entered for warehouse.

(c) Release of merchandise to warehouse proprietor. The following merchandise for which a permit to release has been issued shall be held to be no longer in the custody of Customs officers and shall be released to the warehouse proprietor:

(1) Merchandise upon which all duties and charges have been paid.

(2) Free and duty-paid merchandise upon which all charges have been paid, not entered for warehouse which remains in bonded warehouse for more than the general order period.