[Title 19 CFR D]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - April 1, 2002 Edition]
[Title 19 - CUSTOMS DUTIES]
[Chapter I - UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY]
[Part 142 - ENTRY PROCESS]
[Subpart D - Line Release]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


19CUSTOMS DUTIES22002-04-012002-04-01falseDSubpart DCUSTOMS DUTIESUNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURYENTRY PROCESS
                         Subpart D--Line Release

    Source: T.D. 92-93, 57 FR 44093, Sept. 24, 1992, unless otherwise 
noted.



Sec. 142.41  Line Release.

    Line Release is an automated system designed to release and tract 
repetitive shipments. It is a method of entry or immediate delivery 
extended to importers of merchandise which Customs deems to be 
repetitive and high volume. Line Release may be used only at locations 
approved by Customs for handling Line Release. At certain high-

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risk locations along the land borders of the United States (the 
locations to be published in the Federal Register), which are approved 
by Customs for handling Line Release, the use of Line Release for 
particular shipments may be denied by Customs unless the imported 
merchandise is transported by carriers that participate in the Land 
Border Carrier Initiative Program (see, subpart H of part 123 of this 
chapter).

[T.D. 92-93, 57 FR 44093, as amended by T.D. 99-2, 64 FR 33, Jan. 4, 
1999]



Sec. 142.42  Application for Line Release processing.

    In order to obtain approval for processing import transactions 
through Line Release, a broker or importer filing its own entries (entry 
filer) must submit an application to the port director, signed by the 
entry filer, in a format described as a Line Release Data Loading Sheet. 
The application must be accompanied by a representative sample of an 
actual commercial invoice for the products sought to be processed under 
Line Release. The Line Release Data Loading Sheet must contain the 
following information with each information element appearing on a 
separate line.
    (a) Port where application is being made.
    (b) Initiating Company Information: name, address, city, state, 
contact person, phone number of contact person, and signature.
    (c) Listing of all ports in which the initiating company has filed a 
similar application for Line Release.
    (d) Country of origin codes (ISO codes from Annex B of HTSUS) for 
the merchandise.
    (e) Shipper or manufacturer information: Name, address, city, 
province/state, country, postal code, indication by noting ``M'' or 
``S'' whether this information relates to a manufacturer (M) or a 
shipper (S), and manufacturer identification number of the shipper or 
manufacturer.
    (f) Importer information (if importer is different than filer): 
Name, address, city, state and country, zip code, importer number, bond 
number, and surety code.
    (g) Entry filer information: Name, importer number, filer code, bond 
number, and surety code.
    (h) Product information: Product description, manifest unit of 
measure, HTSUS number described to sub-heading level for particular 
product or range of HTSUS numbers at sub-heading levels for multiple 
products for which Line Release is sought.
    (i) Election of whether the Line Release transaction is to be 
considered an entry or an immediate delivery.



Sec. 142.43  Line Release application approval process.

    (a) Port review. The port director shall review each Line Release 
application to determine whether the shipments qualify for Line Release 
processing. The port director may contact the applicant for further 
information, if necessary. An application that fails to elect whether 
the Line Release transaction is to be considered an entry or an 
immediate delivery will be returned to the applicant. If all required 
information is submitted, the application will be forwarded to 
Headquarters for final processing.
    (b) Assignment of C-4 Codes. A C-4 Code (Common Commodity 
Classification Code), which is a unique code identifying the shipper or 
manufacturer, importer, entry filer, and the product for each Line 
Release shipment, shall be assigned by Headquarters to each application 
approved for Line Release. Headquarters shall annotate each approved 
application with a C-4 Code and return the application to the port 
director who shall return the approved application to the entry filer.
    (c) Denial of Line Release application. If the port director is 
considering the denial of a Line Release application, consideration 
shall be given to whether an application by the same filer for the same 
transaction has been approved at another port. If there is not an 
approved application at another port and the port director determines 
that the application shall be denied, the application shall be noted 
denied and returned to the entry filer without a C-4 Code annotation by 
the port director. If an application has been approved at another port, 
but the port director still questions whether the application

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should be approved at his port, the port director shall forward the 
application to the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Information 
Management. The Office of Information and Technology will review the 
application and will notify the port director of the final 
determination.



Sec. 142.44  Entry number range.

    After an application for Line Release has received final approval, 
filers must provide the port director, in writing, with a range of entry 
numbers for use in the system so that an entry number can be assigned 
automatically to each Line Release transaction. For the purposes of this 
subpart, ``entry number'', when the release is an immediate delivery, 
merely refers to the Line Release transaction number; this number does 
not become the actual entry number until an entry for the merchandise 
released under the immediate delivery procedure is filed. A separate 
range must be provided for each Line Release site at the port. These 
entry numbers shall be used for assignment within the Line Release 
system. Entry filers shall not assign these numbers to other entry 
transactions.



Sec. 142.45  Use of bar code by entry filer.

    (a) Printing of C-4 Code. Upon receipt of an approved Line Release 
application, the entry filer, in accordance with instructions from the 
port director, shall preprint invoices with the C-4 Code in bar code and 
alpha-numeric format or print labels with the necessary information. Bar 
codes shall be printed in accordance with the specifications stated in 
Customs Publication 561 (Line Release Overview). Labels or preprinted 
invoices also shall state the name of the shipper or manufacturer of the 
product and the name of the importer of record, if other than the entry 
filer, above the bar code and the name of the entry filer and a product 
description below the bar code.
    (b) Multiple commodity processing. Multiple commodity processing 
allows more than one product to be released under one entry number. The 
shipper/manufacturer, importer of record and the entry filer must be the 
same. The product description is the only variable allowed. The 
commodities should be listed on one invoice with C-4 Code labels for 
each commodity attached to the invoice.
    (c) Distribution of labels. If labels are used, the labels shall be 
affixed to the invoices in accordance with instructions from the port 
director. The entry filer may either affix the labels or distribute the 
labels to the shippers/manufacturers and instruct them in the use and 
placement of the labels.



Sec. 142.46  Presentation of invoice and assignment of entry number.

    (a) Presentation of invoice. When merchandise that has been approved 
for Line Release is imported at a Line Release site, the carrier, 
importer or filer shall present Customs with an invoice with the bar 
code or codes printed or affixed and, according to the method of 
transportation, the appropriate manifest document.
    (b) Verification of data. If after scanning the bar code at the Line 
Release site, the Customs officer verifies the data on the bar code with 
the information on the invoice, he will key the quantity on the invoice 
and an entry number will be automatically assigned to the transaction. 
If there are any differences between the system data and the invoice and 
bar code, including any differences in entry filer, the Customs officer 
shall order an examination.
    (c) Other agency documentation. If the Line Release shipment 
requires other agency documentation, the Customs officer at the Line 
Release site will be alerted to that requirement electronically when he 
verifies the data on the bar code with the information on the invoice. 
If the required form is presented to the officer with the documentation 
package, the shipment may be released.



Sec. 142.47  Examinations of Line Release transactions.

    (a) General. Merchandise imported under Line Release generally may 
be released without further Customs processing. Customs, however, may 
choose to inspect any Line Release shipment. Examinations may be either 
specifically ordered by the Customs officer or random.

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    (b) Voiding of Line Release Transaction. Customs may void a Line 
Release transaction for the following reasons: Because of an 
examination, because a carrier transporting the Line Release merchandise 
is not a participant in the Land Border Carrier Initiative Program 
(LBCIP), or because a driver or conveyance is not authorized in 
accordance with the LBCIP. If this occurs, Customs will return the 
invoice to the carrier, and the entry filer, in order to enter 
merchandise, shall prepare and submit either a CF 3461 or 3461 
Alternate.

[T.D. 92-93, 57 FR 44093, Sept. 24, 1992, as amended by T.D. 99-2, 64 FR 
33, Jan. 4, 1999]



Sec. 142.48  Release procedure.

    (a) General. When the Customs officer at the Line Release site 
determines that a shipment is ready for release, release data, 
consisting of the entry number, the date and time of release, the 
inspector's badge number, the quantity and unit of measure, and the C-4 
Code will be printed on the invoice and the manifest document and, when 
other agency documentation is presented, may be printed on that 
documentation. The invoice shall be returned to the entry filer and the 
manifest document shall be retained by Customs.
    (b) Notification to non-ABI participants. The returned invoice with 
the release data shall be the release notification to non-ABI 
participants.
    (c) Notification to ABI participants. If the Line Release entry 
filer is an operational ABI participant, the filer shall receive an 
electronic notification of the release consisting of the importer of 
record number, the port of entry, the filer code, the entry number, the 
date and time of release, the manufacturer code, the quantity and unit 
of measure, the release site, the HTSUS number(s), the C-4 Code and the 
country or countries of origin.



Sec. 142.49  Deletion of C-4 Code.

    (a) By Customs. A port director may temporarily or permanently 
delete an entry filer's C-4 Code without providing the participant with 
any justification and without prior notification in cases of willfulness 
or when public health, interest, or safety so requires, thereby revoking 
the filer's use of Line Release.
    (b) By entry filer. Entry filers may delete C-4 Codes from Line 
Release by notifying the port director in writing on a Deletion Data 
Loading Sheet. Such notification shall state the C-4 Code which is to be 
deleted, the port where the C-4 Code is to be deleted and the reason for 
the requested deletion. A copy of the originally approved Data Loading 
Sheet must be submitted with the Deletion Data Loading Sheet. If only a 
temporary deletion is desired, the filer shall state the requested 
effective date for the deletion and the date the C-4 Code is requested 
to be returned to Line Release processing.



Sec. 142.50  Line Release data base corrections or changes.

    The applicant shall notify the port director of any changes in 
names, importer or filer numbers or bond information on a Line Release 
Data Loading Sheet as soon as possible. Notification shall be 
accomplished by the submission of a copy of the original loading sheet 
with a Correction Data Loading Sheet.



Sec. 142.51  Changing election of entry or immediate delivery.

    An applicant who has already received a C-4 Code and wishes to 
change the election chosen on his Line Release application as to whether 
the release should be considered an entry or an immediate delivery must 
submit a letter requesting such change to the port director where the C-
4 Code is used. This letter must include the C-4 Code to be changed and 
the date the change is to be effective. If the requested change is for a 
temporary time period, the letter shall include the date the releases 
are to return to the release type originally requested. Applications 
that fail to state the effective dates of the changes requested will be 
returned to the applicant.



Sec. 142.52  Port-wide and multiple port acceptance of Line Release.

    (a) Port-wide processing. If a C-4 Code has been approved by the 
port director, the C-4 Code may be used at any Line Release site at the 
port.

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    (b) Multiple port processing. In order for a C-4 Code approved at 
one port to be used at another port, the entry filer must submit an 
application to the port director of the other port. While uniform 
criteria shall be applied to approving similar shipments for Line 
Release at all ports, a port director may exercise his discretion to 
deny Line Release at his port even though a similar shipment may be 
approved at another port.