Title 28Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§2636 Time for commencement of action

Title 28 › Part PART VI— - PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › Chapter CHAPTER 169— - COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE PROCEDURE › § 2636

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Sets deadlines for starting certain lawsuits in the Court of International Trade. If you want to challenge a denied protest under section 515, you must file within 180 days after the denial notice is mailed or within 180 days after it is denied by operation of law. A challenge to a denied petition under section 516 must be filed within 30 days after the notice is mailed. Challenges to reviewable determinations listed in section 516A must be filed in the time that section gives. Challenges to final determinations by the Secretary of Labor (Trade Act of 1974, sec. 223) or the Secretary of Commerce (secs. 251 or 271) must be filed within 60 days after notice. A final determination under section 305(b)(1) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 must be challenged within 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Requests for confidential information under section 777(c)(2) must be filed within 10 days after denial. Challenges to customs broker license actions (section 641) or private lab accreditation denials (section 499(b)) must be filed within 60 days after the decision. Other Court of International Trade cases (under section 1581) must be filed within 2 years after the cause first accrues.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §2636

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A civil action contesting the denial, in whole or in part, of a protest under section 515 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade—
(1)within one hundred and eighty days after the date of mailing of notice of denial of a protest under section 515(a) of such Act; or
(2)within one hundred and eighty days after the date of denial of a protest by operation of law under the provisions of section 515(b) of such Act.
(b)A civil action contesting the denial of a petition under section 516 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within thirty days after the date of mailing of a notice pursuant to section 516(c) of such Act.
(c)A civil action contesting a reviewable determination listed in section 516A of the Tariff Act of 1930 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within the time specified in such section.
(d)A civil action contesting a final determination of the Secretary of Labor under section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974 or a final determination of the Secretary of Commerce under section 251 or section 271 of such Act is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within sixty days after the date of notice of such determination.
(e)A civil action contesting a final determination made under section 305(b)(1) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within thirty days after the date of the publication of such determination in the Federal Register.
(f)A civil action involving an application for the issuance of an order making confidential information available under section 777(c)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within ten days after the date of the denial of the request for such confidential information.
(g)A civil action contesting the denial or revocation by the Secretary of the Treasury of a customs broker’s license or permit under subsection (b) or (c) of section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, or the revocation or suspension of such license or permit or the imposition of a monetary penalty in lieu thereof by such Secretary under section 641(d) of such Act, is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within sixty days after the date of the entry of the decision or order of such Secretary.
(h)A civil action contesting the denial, suspension, or revocation by the Customs Service of a private laboratory’s accreditation under section 499(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within 60 days after the date of the decision or order of the Customs Service.
(i)A civil action of which the Court of International Trade has jurisdiction under section 1581 of this title, other than an action specified in subsections (a)–(h) of this section, is barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the court within two years after the cause of action first accrues.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 515 of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (a), is classified to section 1515 of Title 19, Customs Duties. section 516 of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (b), is classified to section 1516 of Title 19. section 516A of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (c), is classified to section 1516a of Title 19. section 223 and 251 of the Trade Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (d), are classified to section 2273 and 2341, respectively, of Title 19, Customs Duties. section 271 of the Trade Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (d), means section 271 of Pub. L. 93–618, title II, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2035, which related to petitions and determinations for trade adjustment assistance for communities and was classified to section 2371 of Title 19, Customs Duties, prior to being omitted from the Code as terminated Sept. 30, 1982, and later being omitted in the general revision of part 4 of subchapter II of chapter 12 of Title 19 by Pub. L. 111–5. section 305(b)(1) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, referred to in subsec. (e), is classified to section 2515(b)(1) of Title 19. section 777(c)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (f), is classified to section 1677f(c)(2) of Title 19. section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (g), is classified to section 1641 of Title 19. section 499(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (h), is classified to section 1499(b) of Title 19.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2636, acts
June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 981;
June 2, 1970, Pub. L. 91–271, title I, § 117, 84 Stat. 280, related to analysis of imported merchandise, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 96–417. See section 2642 of this title.

Amendments

1993—Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 103–182 added subsec. (h) and redesignated former subsec. (h) as (i). 1984—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–573, § 623(b)(1)(A), amended subsec. (c) generally, striking out “, other than a determination under section 703(b), 703(c), 733(b), or 733(c) of such Act,” and substituting “within the time specified in such section” for “within thirty days after the date of the publication of such determination in the Federal Register”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98–573, § 623(b)(1)(B), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d), which provided that civil actions contesting certain determinations by the administering authority under section 703(b), (c), and 733(b), (c), of the Tariff Act of 1930 were barred unless commenced in accordance with the rules of the Court of International Trade within 10 days after publication of the determination in the Federal Register, was struck out. Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 98–573, § 623(b)(1)(B), redesignated subsecs. (f) to (h) as (e) to (g), respectively. Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 98–573, § 623(b)(1)(B), redesignated subsec. (i) as (h). Former subsec. (h) redesignated (g). Pub. L. 98–573, § 212(b)(4), amended subsec. (h) generally, substituting “customs broker’s license or permit under subsection (b) or (c) of section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930, or the revocation or suspension of such license or permit or the imposition of a monetary penalty in lieu thereof by such Secretary under section 641(d) of such Act,” for “customhouse broker’s license under section 641(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930 or the revocation or suspension by such Secretary of a customhouse broker’s license under section 641(b) of such Act”. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 98–573, § 623(b)(1)(B), redesignated subsec. (i) as (h).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by section 212(b)(4) of Pub. L. 98–573 effective on close of 180th day after Oct. 30, 1984, see section 214(d) of Pub. L. 98–573, set out as a note under section 1304 of Title 19, Customs Duties. Amendment by section 623(b)(1) of Pub. L. 98–573 applicable with respect to civil actions pending on, or filed on or after, Oct. 30, 1984, see section 626(b)(2) of Pub. L. 98–573, set out as a note under section 1671 of Title 19.

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to civil actions commenced on or after Nov. 1, 1980, see section 701(b)(1)(B) of Pub. L. 96–417, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1980 Amendment note under section 251 of this title. Application of 1993 AmendmentFor purposes of applying amendment by Pub. L. 103–182, any decision or order of Customs Service denying, suspending, or revoking accreditation of a private laboratory on or after Dec. 8, 1993, and before

Regulations

to implement 19 U.S.C. 1499(b) are issued to be treated as having been denied, suspended, or revoked under such section 1499(b), see section 684(b) of Pub. L. 103–182, formerly set out as a note under section 1581 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 2636

Title 28Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73