Title 19Customs DutiesRelease 119-73

§1558 No remission or refund after release of merchandise

Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 4— - TARIFF ACT OF 1930 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Part Part IV— - Transportation in Bond and Warehousing of Merchandise › § 1558

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

No refunds or cancellations of estimated or final customs duties are allowed just because goods are exported or destroyed after they left government custody, except in three cases. One, when the law specifically allows a duty drawback for exported items. Two, when prohibited items were properly entered in good faith and later exported or destroyed under U.S. law and the rules the Secretary of the Treasury sets. Three, when goods entered under bond are destroyed during the bonded period (as described in section 1557), or are lost by death, accidental fire, or other casualty during that time, and satisfactory proof of the loss is given; then any duties owed are forgiven or repaid and the bond’s export condition is treated as met. If goods are exported or destroyed under customs supervision after being released, as allowed by subsection (h) of section 1304, that exportation or destruction does not free the goods from any duties except the marking duty described in that subsection.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §1558

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No remission, abatement, refund, or drawback of estimated or liquidated duty shall be allowed because of the exportation or destruction of any merchandise after its release from the custody of the Government, except in the following cases:
(1)When articles are exported with respect to which a drawback of duties is expressly provided for by law;
(2)When prohibited articles have been regularly entered in good faith and are subsequently exported or destroyed pursuant to a law of the United States and under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; and
(3)When articles entered under bond, under any provision of law, are destroyed within the bonded period as provided for in section 1557 of this title, or are destroyed within the bonded period by death, accidental fire, or other casualty, and proof of such destruction is furnished which shall be satisfactory to the Secretary of the Treasury, in which case any accrued duties shall be remitted or refunded and any condition in the bond that the articles shall be exported shall be deemed to have been satisfied.
(b)When articles are exported or destroyed under customs supervision after once having been released from customs custody, as provided for in subsection (h) 11 See References in Text note below. of section 1304 of this title, such exportation or destruction shall not exempt such articles from the payment of duties other than the marking duty provided for in such subsection (h).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subsection (h) of section 1304 of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was redesignated subsection (i) and a new subsection (h) of section 1304 was added by Pub. L. 106–36, title II, § 2423(a), June 25, 1999, 113 Stat. 180.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in R.S. § 2978, as amended by act Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69, § 1, 19 Stat. 247, and in R.S. § 3025, both of which were superseded by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 558, 42 Stat. 977, and were repealed by section 642 thereof. section 558 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 558 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

Amendments

1999—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–36 substituted “subsection (h)” for “subsection (c)” in two places. 1938—Act June 25, 1938, amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section disallowed remission or refund of estimated or liquidated duty on the exportation of merchandise after its release from Government control or custody, with exceptions for articles made from imported materials or not conforming to specifications, on which drawback was provided by law.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1938 AmendmentAmendment by act
June 25, 1938, effective on thirtieth day following
June 25, 1938, except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 37 of act
June 25, 1938, set out as a note under section 1401 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 1558

Title 19Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73