Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-102
§2635 Filing of Official Documents
Title 28 › PART VI — PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › CHAPTER 169 — COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE PROCEDURE › § 2635
Summary
When someone sues in the Court of International Trade to challenge a customs or trade agency decision, the government agency must give the court clerk the full administrative record about the entry or decision. For protests under sections 515 or 516 of the Tariff Act, Customs must file all papers and data about the entry and the agency decision, following the court’s rules. For cases under section 516A, the administering authority or the International Trade Commission must send the full record within 40 days after the complaint is served (or another time the court sets). That record must include all information from the agency’s proceedings, government memoranda, ex parte meeting records, the agency’s decision with its facts and reasons, hearing transcripts, and Federal Register notices. If any material is confidential, the agency must send it under seal with a nonconfidential description. The court will keep confidentiality but may review sealed material in private and release it under limits the court sets. For requests under section 777(c)(2), the agency must send confidential material within 15 days (or another time the court sets). Parties may agree to send fewer documents in other agency-review cases.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §2635
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In any action commenced in the Court of International Trade contesting the denial of a protest under section 515 of the Tariff Act of 1930 or the denial of a petition under section 516 of such Act, the Customs Service, as prescribed by the rules of the court, shall file with the clerk of the court, as part of the official record, any document, paper, information or data relating to the entry of merchandise and the administrative determination that is the subject of the protest or petition.
(b)(1)In any civil action commenced in the Court of International Trade under section 516A of the Tariff Act of 1930, within forty days or within such other period of time as the court may specify, after the date of service of a complaint on the administering authority established to administer title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 or the United States International Trade Commission, the administering authority or the Commission shall transmit to the clerk of the court the record of such action, as prescribed by the rules of the court. The record shall, unless otherwise stipulated by the parties, consist of—
(A)a copy of all information presented to or obtained by the administering authority or the Commission during the course of the administrative proceedings, including all governmental memoranda pertaining to the case and the record of ex parte meetings required to be maintained by section 777(a)(3) of the Tariff Act of 1930; and
(B)(i)a copy of the determination and the facts and conclusions of law upon which such determination was based, (ii) all transcripts or records of conferences or hearings, and (iii) all notices published in the Federal Register.
(2)The administering authority or the Commission shall identify and transmit under seal to the clerk of the court any document, comment, or information that is accorded confidential or privileged status by the Government agency whose action is being contested and that is required to be transmitted to the clerk under paragraph (1) of this subsection. Any such document, comment, or information shall be accompanied by a nonconfidential description of the nature of the material being transmitted. The confidential or privileged status of such material shall be preserved in the civil action, but the court may examine the confidential or privileged material in camera and may make such material available under such terms and conditions as the court may order.
(c)Within fifteen days, or within such other period of time as the Court of International Trade may specify, after service of a summons and complaint in a civil action involving an application for an order directing the administering authority or the International Trade Commission to make confidential information available under section 777(c)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, the administering authority or the Commission shall transmit under seal to the clerk of the Court of International Trade, as prescribed by its rules, the confidential information involved, together with pertinent parts of the record. Such information shall be accompanied by a nonconfidential description of the nature of the information being transmitted. The confidential status of such information shall be preserved in the civil action, but the court may examine the confidential information in camera and may make such information available under a protective order consistent with section 777(c)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930.
(d)(1)In any other civil action in the Court of International Trade in which judicial review is to proceed upon the basis of the record made before an agency, the agency shall, within forty days or within such other period of time as the court may specify, after the date of service of the summons and complaint upon the agency, transmit to the clerk of the court, as prescribed by its rules—
(A)a copy of the contested determination and the findings or report upon which such determination was based;
(B)a copy of any reported hearings or conferences conducted by the agency; and
(C)any documents, comments, or other papers filed by the public, interested parties, or governments with respect to the agency’s action.
(2)The agency shall identify and transmit under seal to the clerk of the court any document, comment, or other information that was obtained on a confidential basis and that is required to be transmitted to the clerk under paragraph (1) of this subsection. Any such document, comment, or information shall include a nonconfidential description of the nature of the material being transmitted. The confidential or privileged status of such material shall be preserved in the civil action, but the court may examine such material in camera and may make such material available under such terms and conditions as the court may order.
(3)The parties may stipulate that fewer documents, comments, or other information than those specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be transmitted to the clerk of the court.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b)(1), and (c), is act June 17, 1930, ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590. Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 is classified generally to subtitle IV (§ 1671 et seq.) of chapter 4 of Title 19, Customs Duties. section 515, 516, 516A, and 777 of the Tariff Act of 1930 are classified to section 1515, 1516, 1516a, and 1677f, respectively, of Title 19. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1654 of Title 19 and Tables.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 2635, acts
June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 981;
June 2, 1970, Pub. L. 91–271, title I, § 116, 84 Stat. 280, related to burden of proof and evidence of value, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 96–417. See section 2639 of this title.
Amendments
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–182 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “(1) Upon service of the summons on the Secretary of the Treasury in any civil action contesting the denial of a protest under section 515 of the Tariff Act of 1930 or the denial of a petition under section 516 of such Act, the appropriate customs officer shall forthwith transmit to the clerk of the Court of International Trade, as prescribed by its rules, and as a part of the official record— “(A) the consumption or other entry and the entry summary; “(B) the commercial invoice; “(C) the special customs invoice; “(D) a copy of the protest or petition; “(E) a copy of the denial, in whole or in part, of the protest or petition; “(F) the importer’s exhibits; “(G) the official and other representative samples; “(H) any official laboratory reports; and “(I) a copy of any bond relating to the entry. “(2) If any of the items listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection do not exist in a particular civil action, an affirmative statement to that effect shall be transmitted to the clerk of the court.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
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.
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. § 2635
Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102