(1) Lift vans, cargo vans, shipping tanks, skids, pallets, caul boards, and cores for textile fabrics, arriving (whether loaded or empty) in use or to be used in the shipment of merchandise in international traffic are hereby designated as “instruments of international traffic” within the meaning of section 322(a), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. The Commissioner of Customs is authorized to designate as instruments of international traffic, in decisions to be published in the weekly Customs Bulletin, such additional articles or classes of articles as he shall find should be so designated. Such instruments may be released without entry or the payment of duty, subject to the provisions of this section.

(2) Repair components, accessories, and equipment for any container of foreign production which is an instrument of international traffic may be entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption without the deposit of duty if the person making the entry or withdrawal from warehouse files a declaration that the repair component was imported to be used in the repair of a container of foreign production which is an instrument of international traffic, or that the accessory or equipment is for a container of foreign production which is an instrument of international traffic. The Center director must be satisfied that the importer of the repair component, accessory, or equipment had the declared intention at the time of importation.

(3) As used in this section, “instruments of international traffic” includes the normal accessories and equipment imported with any such instrument which is a “container” as defined in Article 1 of the Customs Convention on Containers.

(1) is subjected to applicable import duties and import taxes, or

(2) is abandoned free of all expense to the Government or destroyed under Customs supervision at the expense of the parties concerned, following the procedure outlined in § 158.43(c) of this chapter. Any salvaged parts and materials shall be subjected to applicable import duties and import taxes. Replaced parts which are not reexported shall be subjected to import duties and import taxes except where abandoned free of expense to the Government or destroyed under Customs supervision at the expense of the parties concerned.

(1) When the application is filed before the fact of approval of the applicant's bond has been established, the applicant must submit with the application, or the Customs officer to whom the application is made must obtain, evidence that a current bond is on file at another port. That evidence may consist of a certified copy of the bond, or any other evidence which will satisfy the Customs officer to whom the application is made that a current bond is on file at another port.

(2) If the application is filed after the fact of approval of the applicant's bond has been established, a certified copy of that bond need not be filed at the port of release. Upon determination by the appropriate Customs officer that the fact of approval of the applicant's bond has been established, and the bond has not been subsequently discontinued, the instruments of international traffic will be released as provided for in paragraph (a) of this section.

(3) Upon the request of the applicant, the appropriate Customs officer at the port at which the instruments of international traffic are to be released will determine whether or not the fact of approval of the applicant's bond has been established. If the approval has not been established, the Customs officer with whom the application has been filed will advise the applicant of the nature of the evidence required to establish the fact that a current bond is on file at another port.

(1) that the container is to be abandoned or destroyed, as described in paragraph (b) of this section, or

(2) that the instrument is the subject of a diversion or withdrawal as described in paragraph (d) of this section, in which event he shall file with CBP, either at the port of entry or electronically a consumption entry for the instrument and pay all import duties and import taxes due on the container or instrument at the rate or rates in effect and in its condition on the date of such diversion or withdrawal.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (j) of this section, an instrument of international traffic (other than a container as defined in Article 1 of the Customs Convention on Containers that is governed by paragraphs (g) (1)-(3) of this section) may be used as follows in point-to-point traffic, provided such traffic is incidental to the efficient and economical utilization of the instrument in the course of its use in international traffic:

(2) Neither use as enumerated in paragraph (f)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section constitutes a diversion to unpermitted point-to-point local traffic within the United States or a withdrawal of an instrument in the United States from its use as an instrument of international traffic under this section.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (j) of this section, a container (as defined in Article 1 of the Customs Convention on Containers) that is designated as an instrument of international traffic is deemed to remain in international traffic provided that the container exits the U.S. within 365 days of the date on that it was admitted under this section. An exit from the U.S. in this context means a movement across the border of the United States into a foreign country where either:

(2) The person who filed the application for release under paragraph (a)(1) of this section is responsible for keeping and maintaining such records, otherwise generated and retained in the ordinary course of business, as may be necessary to establish the international movements of the containers. Such records shall be made available for inspection by Customs officials upon reasonable notice.

(3) If the container does not exit the U.S. within 365 days of the date on which it is admitted under this section, such container shall be considered to have been removed from international traffic, and entry for consumption must be made within 10 business days after the end of the month in which the container is deemed removed from international traffic. When entry is required under this section, any containers considered removed from international traffic in the same month may be listed on one entry. Such entry may be made at any port of entry. Under 19 U.S.C. 1484(a)(1)(B), the importer of record is required, using reasonable care, to complete the entry by filing with Customs the declared value, classification and rate of duty applicable to the merchandise. The importer of record must use the value of the container as determined in accordance with section 402, Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401a), as amended by the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (TAA).