General. Except as provided for in § 146.43, no merchandise will be transferred from a zone without a Customs permit on the appropriate entry or withdrawal form or other document as required in this part. This port director may authorize transfer from a zone without physical supervision or examination by a Customs officer. Upon issuance of a permit, the port director will authorize delivery of the merchandise only to the operator, who then may release the merchandise to the importer or carrier.

Liability for discrepancy. When a transfer is not physically supervised by a Customs officer, the operator will be relieved of responsibility only for the merchandise in a zone in the condition and quantity as shown on the entry, withdrawal, or other appropriate form. The operator will be relieved of responsibility only if it receives the signed receipt on the document of the importer or the carrier named in that document. The responsibility of the operator may be adjusted by any discrepancy report made jointly by the operator and the bonded cartman, lighterman, or carrier, or the importer, and signed by the above or an authorized representative within 15 days after transfer of the merchandise from the zone. Any adjustment must be noted on the permit copy of the entry, withdrawal, or other appropriate form or document. A copy of any joint report of discrepancy must be submitted to the port director within 10 working days of signing by the parties.

Time limit. Except in the case of articles for use in a zone, merchandise for which a Customs permit for transfer to Customs territory has been issued must be physically removed from the zone within 5 working days of issuance of that permit. The port director, upon request of the operator, may extend that period for good cause. Merchandise awaiting removal within the required time limit will not be further manipulated or manufactured in the zone, but will be segregated or otherwise identified by the operator as merchandise that has been constructively transferred to Customs territory.

Retention or return of merchandise to zone for consumption. (1) The port director shall cancel any entry for consumption where: (i) The merchandise is not removed from the zone within the period specified in paragraph (c) of this section, or (ii) the merchandise was removed from the zone but did not enter the commerce of the U.S. in Customs territory and was subsequently readmitted to a zone in domestic status. If the port director has reason to believe any new entry would be cancelled under the provisions of this paragraph, he may reject the entry or demand a written stipulation, as a condition of entry acceptance, that the merchandise will not be returned to a zone in domestic status. Merchandise covered by an entry which has been cancelled under this paragraph shall be restored to its last foreign status.

A component of merchandise which has been entered, but not physically removed from a zone, shall be restored to its last zone status, provided the port director determines that the component was included in the entry through clerical error, mistake of fact, or other inadvertence not amounting to an error in the construction of the law. Such an error, including that in appraisement of any entry or liquidation due to the above circumstances, may be corrected pursuant to section 520(c)(1), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1520(c)(1)), in accordance with the procedures described in part 173 of this chapter. If the port director decides there has been no error, mistake, or inadvertence, or that the information was not timely provided, the component will be considered as an overage and subject to the provisions of § 146.53(d).

When merchandise which has been entered for consumption is subsequently returned to a zone for a reason other than that specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, it shall be admitted in domestic status.