Bonded smelting and refining warehouses

Any plant engaged in smelting or refining, or both, of metal-bearing materials as defined in this section may, upon the giving of satisfactory bond, be designated a bonded smelting or refining warehouse. Metal-bearing materials may be entered into a bonded smelting or refining warehouse without the payment of duties thereon and there smelted or refined, or both, together with metal-bearing materials of domestic or foreign origin. Upon arrival of imported metal-bearing materials at the warehouse they shall be sampled according to commercial methods and assayed, both under customs supervision. The bond shall be charged with a sum equal in amount to the duties which would be payable on such metal-bearing materials in their condition as imported if entered for consumption, and the bond charge shall be adjusted to reflect changes in the applicable rate of duty occurring while the imported materials are still covered by the bond. The several charges against such bond may be canceled in whole or in part— upon the exportation from the bonded warehouses which treated the metal-bearing materials, or from any other bonded smelting or refining warehouse, of a quantity of the same kind of metal contained in any product of smelting or refining of metal-bearing materials equal to the dutiable quantity contained in the imported metal-bearing materials less wastage provided for in subsection (c); except that— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation of such a product to a USMCA country, as defined in section 4502 of this title, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to USMCA drawback, as defined in section 4534(a) of this title, the duties on the materials shall be paid, and the charges against the bond canceled, before the 61st day after the date of exportation; but upon the presentation, before such 61st day, of satisfactory evidence of the amount of any customs duties paid to the USMCA country on the product, the duties on the materials may be waived or reduced (subject to section 4534(e) of this title) in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation of such a product to Chile, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to Chile FTA drawback, as defined in section 203(a) of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, the duties on the materials shall be paid, and the charges against the bond canceled, before the 61st day after the date of exportation, except that the duties may be waived or reduced by— upon the transfer of the bond charges to a bonded customs warehouse other than a bonded smelting or refining warehouse by physical shipment of a quantity of the same kind of metal contained in any product of smelting or refining equal to the dutiable quantity contained in the imported metal-bearing materials less wastage provided for in subsection (c), and upon withdrawal from such other warehouse for exportation or domestic consumption the provisions of this section shall apply; except that— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation of such a product to a USMCA country, as defined in section 4502 of this title, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to USMCA drawback, as defined in section 4534(a) of this title, the duties on the materials shall be paid, and the charges against the bond canceled, before the 61st day after the date of exportation; but upon the presentation, before such 61st day, of satisfactory evidence of the amount of any customs duties paid to the USMCA country on the product, the duties on the materials may be waived or reduced (subject to section 4534(e) of this title) in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation of such a product to Chile, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to Chile FTA drawback, as defined in section 203(a) of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, the duties on the materials shall be paid, and the charges against the bond canceled, before the 61st day after the date of exportation, except that the duties may be waived or reduced by— For purposes of paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (5) of subsection (b), due allowances shall be made for wastage of metals other than copper, lead, and zinc, as ascertained from time to time by the Secretary of the Treasury. Upon the exportation of a product of smelting or refining other than refined metal the bond shall be credited with a quantity of metal equivalent to the quantity of metal contained in the product exported less the proportionate part of the deductions allowed for losses in determination of the bond charge being cancelled that would not ordinarily be sustained in production of the specific product exported as ascertained from time to time by the Secretary of the Treasury; except that— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation to a USMCA country, as defined in section 4502 of this title, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to USMCA drawback, as defined in section 4534(a) of this title, charges against the bond shall be paid before the 61st day after the date of exportation; but upon the presentation, before such 61st day, of satisfactory evidence of the amount of any customs duties paid to the USMCA country on the product, the bond shall be credited (subject to section 4534(e) of this title) in an amount not to exceed the lesser of— in the case of a withdrawal for exportation to Chile, if any of the imported metal-bearing materials are goods subject to Chile FTA drawback, as defined in section 203(a) of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, charges against the bond shall be paid before the 61st day after the date of exportation, and the bond shall be credited in an amount equal to— Two or more smelting or refining warehouses may be included under one general bond and the quantities of each kind of metal subject to duty on hand at all of such warehouses may be aggregated to satisfy the bond obligation. For purposes of this section— the term “smelting or refining” embraces only pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, electrometallurgical, chemical, or other processes— Labor performed and services rendered pursuant to this section shall be under the supervision of an officer of the customs, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury and at the expense of the manufacturer. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.