[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 92 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32082-32083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11788]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service


Use or Replacement of Continuous Bonds That Were Destroyed in New 
York

AGENCY: United States Customs Service, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: General notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public of the procedures that must be 
followed by importers to ensure continuous bond coverage on future 
import transactions in the case of continuous bonds maintained by 
Customs in New York that were destroyed in the terrorist attack on 
September 11, 2001.

DATES: A copy of a current bond must be provided to Customs, or a new 
bond must be filed with Customs, on or before June 12, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding operational 
issues: The Entry and Drawback Management Branch, Office of Field 
Operations (202-927-0360). For inquiries about specific bonds: The 
Customs Bond Unit, Elizabeth, New Jersey (201-443-0234). A party making 
a telephonic inquiry regarding a specific bond should be prepared to 
provide its importer name and identification number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Customs laws and regulations require the posting of a surety 
bond to secure Customs transactions involving specific types of 
activities (for example, the importation and entry of merchandise, the 
custody of imported merchandise, the arrival and clearance of 
conveyances). A Customs bond may be approved by Customs for a 
particular activity involving one individual Customs transaction (for 
example, a single entry bond) or may be approved by Customs as a 
continuous bond for a particular activity involving multiple Customs 
transactions (for example, a continuous importation and entry bond). A 
single transaction bond normally is approved by Customs when presented 
in connection with the individual transaction to which it relates and 
remains in effect only for purposes of that one transaction. An 
application for a continuous transaction bond normally is filed with, 
and approved by, Customs before all of the transactions to which it 
relates arise, and the approved bond is retained on file by Customs and 
remains in effect until terminated by the parties to the bond.
    The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 
September 11, 2001, resulted in the destruction of Customs bonds and 
other documents that were being stored at the Customs offices at 6 
World Trade Center. The destroyed bonds and other documents included, 
but were not limited to, continuous bonds which were filed for approval 
at the New York Seaport (port code 1001) and at the New York Regional 
Port (port code 7200). In order to ensure uninterrupted bond coverage 
and avoid the need to file an application for a new continuous bond, 
each party having a continuous bond of any type involving activity code 
1 to 5 that has an effective date of September 11, 2001, or earlier and 
that was filed at either of the two ports referred to above and that 
remains in effect on the date of publication of this notice must, 
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice, provide 
Customs with a copy of that bond together with the Customs bond number 
and copies of any riders to the bond. Failure to provide a copy

[[Page 32083]]

of the bond within the prescribed 30 day period will cause Customs to 
refuse to accept a reference to the bond to guarantee future 
transactions. If a copy of the bond cannot be provided, the party must 
submit to Customs a new continuous bond application within the same 30-
day period. For purposes of this notice, the term ``party'' refers to 
any individual or business association that prior to, or on or after, 
September 11, 2001, has engaged in activities secured by a continuous 
bond described above as having been destroyed on that date, either by 
virtue of being listed as a ``Principal'' on the bond or by virtue of 
being listed as a user in ``Section III'' on the bond.
    The copy of the continuous bond or the new continuous bond 
application should be sent to either of the following addresses:

U.S. Customs Service,
Attention: Bond Desk,
1210 Corbin Street,
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07201;

    or

U.S. Customs Service,
Attention: Bond Desk,
Bldg. 77,
JFK Airport,
Jamaica, New York 11430.

    Dated: May 7, 2002.
Bonni G. Tischler,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations.
[FR Doc. 02-11788 Filed 5-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P