(a) Crib. A crib means a bonded area, separate from the storage area of a Class 9 warehouse, for the retention of a supply of articles for delivery to persons departing from the United States. It shall be located beyond the exit point, unless exception has been made under § 19.39 (a) and (b) of this part. The crib may be a permanent location or a mobile facility which is periodically moved to a location beyond the exit point. The quantity of goods in the crib may be an amount requested by the proprietor which is commercially necessary for the delivery operations for a period, if approved by the port director. The port director may increase or decrease the quantity as deemed necessary for the protection of the revenue and proper administration of U.S. laws and regulations, or may order the return to the storage area of goods remaining unsold.

(b) Delivery and removal of merchandise. Conditionally duty-free merchandise shall be delivered to the crib, or removed from the crib for return to the storage area, under the procedures in subpart D, part 125, and § 144.34(a), of this chapter, or under a local control system approved by the port director wherein any discrepancy found in the merchandise will be treated as if it occurred in the bonded warehouse. If delivery is made by licensed cartman, cartage vehicles shall be conspicuously marked as provided in § 112.27 of this chapter.

(c) Delivery vehicles. Vehicles, including mobile cribs, containing conditionally duty-free merchandise for delivery to or from a crib shall carry a listing of the articles contained therein. The proprietor shall provide, upon request by Customs, a transfer document sufficient to account for each movement of inventory among its locations. The merchandise in the vehicles shall be subject to inspection by Customs.

(d) Retention of records. Class 9 warehouse proprietors shall maintain records of conditionally duty-free merchandise transported beyond the exit point and returned therefrom, and Customs permits for such movements, for not less than 5 years after exportation of the articles. Such records need not be placed in permit file folders but must be filed by date of movement, destination site and warehouse entry number or by unique identifier where permitted by the port director (see § 19.36(g)).