Bonded Warehouse

03/23/22:  Notice: Updated Bonded Warehouse Program – Cancel Button

03/23/22:  Diplomatic Note 22-642: Updated Bonded Warehouse Circular Note – Cancel Button

12/03/21:  USUN Diplomatic Note HC 2021-124: Updated Bonded Warehouse Program

11/22/21:  Bonded Warehouse Procedures Instructions

07/03/12:  Notice: Improvements to E-Government Bonded Warehouse Program

BONDED WAREHOUSE PROCEDURES – INSTRUCTIONS

PERSONAL GOODS REQUESTS
Eligible foreign mission members wishing to obtain tax- and duty-free purchases from a bonded warehouse facility must adhere to the following procedures:

1. Eligible mission members must submit requests associated with purchases of tax- and duty-free merchandise from bonded warehouse facilities via the Department’s eGov system.
2. The mission member must provide the following information:
   1. Name of Foreign Mission
   2. Name of Bonded Warehouse facility
   3. Intended Use
   4. Purpose
   5. Personal Identification Number
   6. Consignee’s Surname
   7. Consignee’s Given Name
   8. Consignee’s Date of Birth
   9. Delivery Address of Merchandise (The delivery address must be either the consignee’s home or that of the foreign mission/international organization to which s/he is assigned.)
   10. For the Description of Merchandise the following information is required:
       1. Product Type
       2. Brand Name
       3. Size
       4. Quantity
       5. Cost Per Unit
       6. Catalog Code
3.  If the consignee is eligible for this privilege, the eGov request form is completed correctly, and the request is determined to be of a reasonable quantity, OFM will authorize the mission member’s request to purchase the associated tax and duty-free merchandise.

OFFICIAL GOODS REQUESTS

Eligible foreign missions wishing to obtain tax and duty-free purchases from a bonded warehouse facility that are intended for official use at mission parties and events should adhere to the following procedures:

1. Eligible missions must submit requests associated with purchases of tax- and duty-free merchandise from bonded warehouse facilities via the Department’s eGov system.
2. The mission must provide the following information:
   1. Name of Foreign Mission
   2. Name of Bonded Warehouse facility
   3. Intended Use
   4. Purpose
   5. Point of Contact’s Personal Identification Number
   6. Point of Contact’s Surname
   7. Point of Contact’s Given Name
   8. Point of Contact’s Date of Birth
   9. Delivery Address of Merchandise, which must match the mission address
   10. For the Description of Merchandise provide the following:
       1. Product Type
       2. Brand Name
       3. Size
       4. Quantity
       5. Cost Per Unit
       6. Catalog Code
3.  If the mission is eligible for this privilege, the eGov request is completed correctly, and the request is determined to be of a reasonable quantity, OFM will authorize the mission’s request to purchase the associated tax and duty-free merchandise.

APPROVED REQUESTS

Once OFM authorizes the mission’s or mission member’s request to purchase the associated tax- and duty-free merchandise, the specific transaction/request’s status will be reflected as “ACCEPTED” within the eGov system.

Once the status of the request has been changed to “Accepted,” foreign missions are required to access such requests in the eGov system via the “view service requests in eGov” feature. Once the relevant request is retrieved, the mission will be able to print from eGov the associated “Approval for Merchandise Release” document. This document should then be provided to the appropriate bonded warehouse facility/vendor, at which time the merchandise described on the document may be released to the foreign mission or member.

Policy questions regarding the Bonded Warehouse program may be referred to OFM’s Policy and Reciprocity division at OFM-Policy@state.gov. Questions about adjudication of transactions related to Bonded Warehouse Program maybe referred to OFM’s Accreditation, Services, and Benefits division at OFMTaxCustoms@state.gov.