Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73not60
§1491 Unclaimed Merchandise; Disposition of Forfeited Distilled Spirits, Wines and Malt Liquor
Title 19 › Chapter 4— TARIFF ACT OF 1930 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Part III— Ascertainment, Collection, and Recovery of Duties › § 1491
Summary
Goods that sit in a bonded warehouse for six months without all duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, or other charges being paid are treated as unclaimed and abandoned to the United States. This covers entered or unentered goods, including items stored for transport or export, except merchandise entered under section 1557. Customs will appraise and usually sell these goods at public auction under Treasury rules. Explosives or items that will lose value quickly may be sold right away. Before the sale, anyone can take the goods out for consumption by paying all charges. Once goods become subject to sale, they cannot be exported or put back into warehouse without paying those charges. Charges are figured at the rates that apply when the goods become subject to sale. Instead of selling, Customs can notify known interested parties that title will vest in the United States 30 days after the notice unless, before then, the goods are entered and all charges are paid. If title vests in the United States, Customs can keep, transfer to federal, state, or local agencies, destroy, or otherwise dispose of the goods; the receiving agency must pay transfer and storage costs. A person who lost a substantial interest can, within 30 days after title vests (or by proving they did not get notice), ask the Secretary to pay them what they would have received if the goods had been sold and a claim filed; the Secretary’s decision is final. All forfeited distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquor must be appraised and then given to government agencies for official use, gifted to charities for medical use, sold at auction if no need is found, or destroyed.
Full Legal Text
Title 19, §1491
Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Any entered or unentered merchandise (except merchandise entered under section 1557 of this title, but including merchandise entered for transportation in bond or for exportation) which shall remain in a bonded warehouse pursuant to section 1490 of this title for 6 months from the date of importation thereof, without all estimated duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, or other charges thereon having been paid, shall be considered unclaimed and abandoned to the Government and shall be appraised and sold by the Customs Service at public auction under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe. All gunpowder and other explosive substances and merchandise liable to depreciation in value by damage, leakage, or other cause to such extent that the proceeds of sale thereof may be insufficient to pay the duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, and other charges, if permitted to remain in 11 So in original. The word “in” probably should not appear. pursuant to section 1490 of this title in a bonded warehouse for 6 months, may be sold forthwith, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe. Merchandise subject to sale hereunder or under section 1559 of this title may be entered or withdrawn for consumption at any time prior to such sale upon payment of all duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, and other charges, and expenses that may have accrued thereon, but such merchandise after becoming subject to sale may not be exported prior to sale without the payment of such duties, taxes, fees, interest, charges, and expenses nor may it be entered for warehouse. The computation of duties, taxes, interest, and fees for the purposes of this section and section 1493 and 1559 of this title shall be at the rate or rates applicable at the time the merchandise becomes subject to sale.
(b)At the end of the 6-month period referred to in subsection (a), the Customs Service may, in lieu of sale of the merchandise, provide notice to all known interested parties that the title to such merchandise shall be considered to vest in the United States free and clear of any liens or encumbrances, on the 30th day after the date of the notice unless, before such 30th day—
(1)the subject merchandise is entered or withdrawn for consumption; and
(2)payment is made of all duties, taxes, fees, transfer and storage charges, and other expenses that may have accrued thereon.
(c)If title to any merchandise vests in the United States by operation of subsection (b), such merchandise may be retained by the Customs Service for official use, transferred to any other Federal agency or to any State or local agency, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe. All transfer and storage charges or expenses accruing on retained or transferred merchandise shall be paid by the receiving agency.
(d)Whenever any party, having lost a substantial interest in merchandise by virtue of title vesting in the United States under subsection (b), can establish such title or interest to the satisfaction of the Secretary within 30 days after the day on which title vests in the United States under subsection (b), or can establish to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the party did not receive notice under subsection (b), the Secretary may, upon receipt of a timely and proper petition and upon finding that the facts and circumstances warrant, pay such party out of the Treasury of the United States the amount the Secretary believes the party would have received under section 1493 of this title had the merchandise been sold and a proper claim filed. The decision of the Secretary with respect to any such petition is final and conclusive on all parties.
(e)All distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquor forfeited to the Government summarily or by order of court, under any provision of law administered by the United States Customs Service, shall be appraised and disposed of by—
(1)delivery to such Government agencies, as in the opinion of the Secretary have a need for such distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquor for medical, scientific, or mechanical purposes, or for any other official purpose for which appropriated funds may be expended by a Government agency:
(2)gifts to such eleemosynary institutions as, in the opinion of the Secretary, have a need for such distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquor for medical purposes;
(3)sale by Customs Service at public auction under such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, except that before making any such sale the Secretary shall determine that no Government agency or eleemosynary institution has established a need for such spirits, wines, and malt liquor under paragraph (1) or (2); or
(4)destruction.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in R.S. §§ 2973, 2975 and 2976, all of which were superseded by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 491, 42 Stat. 963, and repealed by section 642 thereof. section 491 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 491 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–295 substituted “in a bonded warehouse pursuant to section 1490” for “in in a bonded warehouse pursuant to section 1490” and “Customs Service” for “appropriate customs officer”. 1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–182, § 659(1), substituted “in a bonded warehouse pursuant to section 1490 of this title for 6 months” for “customs custody for one year”, “estimated duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage,” for “estimated duties and storage”, “duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, and other charges, if permitted” for “duties, storage, and other charges, if permitted”, “pursuant to section 1490 of this title in a bonded warehouse for 6 months” for “public store or bonded warehouse for a period of one year”, “duties, taxes, fees, interest, storage, and other charges” for “duties, storage, and other charges”, “duties, taxes, fees, interest, charges, and expenses” for “duties, charges, and expenses”, and “computation of duties, taxes, interest, and fees for the purposes” for “computation of duties for the purposes”. Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 103–182, § 659(2), added subsecs. (b) to (d). Former subsec. (b) redesignated (e). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–182, § 659(2), (3), redesignated subsec. (b) as (e) and substituted “Customs Service” for “appropriate customs officer” in par. (3). 1978—Pub. L. 95–410 amended section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b). 1970—Pub. L. 91–271 substituted reference to appropriate customs officer for reference to collector, and struck out reference to appraiser of merchandise. 1938—Act June 25, 1938, amended generally so much of this section as preceded “shall be considered unclaimed and abandoned”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentFor
Effective Date
of amendment by Pub. L. 91–271, see section 203 of Pub. L. 91–271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.
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.
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.
Executive Documents
Extension of One-Year PeriodFor extension of one year period prescribed in this section, see Proc. No. 2948, Oct. 12, 1951, 16 F.R. 10589, 65 Stat. c41, set out as a note under section 1318 of this title. Proc. No. 2599, Nov. 6, 1943, 8 F.R. 15359, 57 Stat. 758, as amended by Proc. No. 2712, Dec. 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 14133, 61 Stat. 1947, was superseded by Proc. No. 2948, Oct. 12, 1951, 16 F.R. 10589, 65 Stat. c41.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
19 U.S.C. § 1491
Title 19 — Customs Duties
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60