Forms required—(1) Customs Form 7512 or other document. Customs Form 7512 or other Customs approved documents, such as an air waybill (see paragraph (a)(3) of this section), shall be used for both entry and manifest. Three copies of the form or other document are required to be filed with Customs at the port of origin for merchandise for immediate transportation without appraisement. Four copies of the form or other document are required when merchandise for transportation and exportation is entered. (See also, §§ 18.11 and 18.20(a) of this chapter). Each copy shall be signed by the carrier or its authorized agent.

Air Waybill. An air waybill may be used for both entry and manifest. Three copies of the air waybill are required unless the port director deems additional copies necessary. Photocopies of the original air waybill are acceptable. Either preprinted stock air waybills or electronically generated air waybills may be used. The air waybill must:

Contain the information required of a universal air waybill as recognized and accepted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), be legible and in the English language;

Display a unique 11-digit number, the first three digits being the air carrier's identification code;

Display the number of packages based on the smallest external packaging unit (e.g., 14 packages is acceptable, 1 pallet is unacceptable);

Display the name of the final port of destination in the U.S. or the name of the ultimate country of destination of the cargo indicated by available air carrier shipping documents. The ultimate destination must be shown even though the air transportation may be scheduled to terminate in a country prior to the cargo's final destination;

Be modified to contain the following information which should appear in a block or attachment in the upper right-hand corner as in this example. The numbers 1-8 correspond to the descriptions that follow; the numbers do not have to appear on the AWB:

The item numbers correspond to the following information:

Item 1—Origin— The numeric port code as listed in Schedule D of the Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States, or the port where the in-bond entry is presented.

Item 2—Entry type— The appropriate in-bond code number such as I.T./61 for Immediate Transportation, T&E/62 for Transportation and Exportation, and I.E./63 for Immediate Exportation.

Item 3—Destination— The numeric port code for the intended port of destination for entry or exportation.

Item 4—Importing Carrier/Flight Number/Arrival Date— This information serves to identify the shipment in terms of the inward foreign manifest of the importing carrier. The “Arrival Date” is the date of arrival of the importing conveyance in the U.S. The information must be supplied in all instances.

Item 5—Bonded Carrier/Exporter— The bonded carrier or exporter who will be liable for the proper movement, handling, and safekeeping of the merchandise once the in-bond movement is authorized by Customs. If this information is not supplied, the in-bond movement will be carried out under the bond of the importing carrier. (See Item 7 for further information on transfer of liability.)

Item 6—Date— The date of the in-bond entry preparation. Since an in-bond entry can be prepared before the date of entry presentation and/or acceptance, and prior to the actual arrival of the importing conveyance, this date should only be used for duty assessment purposes when the date in Item 8 is left blank. If a date is not present, the date of in-bond preparation will be deemed to be the date of arrival.

Item 7—Signature of Carrier's Agent (or Exporter)— This signature of the authorized agent of the bonded carrier or exporter identified previously (See Item 5) constitutes acceptance of the liability for the in-bond shipment by the party signing. A signature is required except when the in-bond movement is under the bond of the importing carrier. If unsigned, the submission to Customs of an AWB requesting such a movement is evidence of the acceptance of liability if the AWB is approved by Customs.

Item 8—Customs Officer/Date— Signature of the Customs officer who authorizes the initiation of the in-bond movement and the date of such authorization. Customs will check to make sure merchandise is released only to a bonded carrier. The date is used to start the time limit for completion of the in-bond movement and for consumption entry purposes in accord with § 141.69(b) of this chapter. Customs authorization procedures which use a perforation device are acceptable in lieu of the appropriate Customs signature. The port director will determine whether a signature will be required in this block prior to the time that the cargo is allowed to move.

Delivery of Customs form to carrier—(1) Merchandise entered for immediate transportation without appraisement. When merchandise is entered for immediate transportation without appraisement, two copies of Customs Form 7512 or other Customs approved document shall be delivered to the carrier.

Merchandise entered for transportation and exportation. When merchandise is entered for transportation and exportation, one copy of Customs For 7512 and any other Customs approved document shall be delivered to the carrier.

After delivery. After delivery, the forms or other document shall accompany the merchandise to the port of destination or exportation.

Receipt and supervision. The agent of a bonded air carrier shall give a receipt for any merchandise delivered to it for transportation in bond, and no supervision of the lading of the merchandise on the transporting aircraft shall be required.

Split shipment—(1) Departure within 24 hours. Merchandise covered by a single entry and manifest (Customs Form 7512 or other Customs approved document) may be sent to the destination airport on one or more aircraft. A separate manifest for each aircraft is not required if the whole shipment is sent within a single 24-hour period.

Departure not within 24 hours. If any part of a shipment is sent more than 24 hours after the first part was sent, the entry and manifest copy which accompanies the first shipment shall state that the rest of the shipment will follow by separate aircraft. A single manifest shall be prepared for each part of the shipment sent by separate aircraft. The manifest shall be used as notice of each arrival at the destination airport.

Transhipment. Merchandise sent under bond may be transferred at an intermediate airport to one or more aircraft of the same airline. This may be done without Customs supervision and notice of the transfer is not required. If merchandise covered by one entry and manifest is transferred to more than one aircraft, paragraph (d) of this section applies.

Sealing not required. The sealing of aircraft, aircraft compartments carrying bonded merchandise, or the cording and sealing of bonded packages carried by the aircraft, is not required.

Warning labels. The carrier shall supply and attach the warning label, as described in § 18.4(b)(3) of this chapter, to each bonded package.