(a) Exemption. Articles in the possession of and exclusively for use by any crewmember during the trip or voyage, such as necessary clothing, toiletries, and purely personal effects, may be landed by such crewmember for use on temporary leave without a written declaration or entry, and without payment of duty or internal revenue tax under subheading 9804.00.80, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) (19 U.S.C. § 1202), if the port director is satisfied that:

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Terms Used In 19 CFR 148.63

  • port director: means the person who has jurisdiction within the geographical boundaries of their port of entry unless the regulations provide that particular trade functions or determinations are exclusively within the purview of a Center Director or other CBP personnel. See 19 CFR 101.1
  • United States: includes all territories and possessions of the United States, except the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, Johnston Island, and the island of Guam. See 19 CFR 134.1

(1) The articles are reasonable and appropriate for the crewmember’s accommodation while on temporary leave, and are to be taken out of the United States, except for articles consumed in use;

(2) The articles are intended exclusively for the crewmember’s bona fide personal use;

(3) The quantities are reasonable, depending on the circumstances in each particular case; and

(4) In the case of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, the containers have been opened and the total quantity landed shall not exceed 50 cigars, 300 cigarettes, or 2 kilograms of smoking tobacco, or a proportionate amount of each, and 1 liter of alcoholic beverages.

(b) Temporary leave. A crewmember is not considered to be on temporary leave from a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft engaged in international traffic or entitled to the exemption under this section upon disembarkation when he is to remain in the confines of a pier, terminal, airport, or area immediately adjacent thereto, in order to timely embark on the carrier in the course of a continuous journey or on a concurrently scheduled arrival and departure.

[T.D. 73-27, 38 FR 2449, Jan. 26, 1973, as amended by T.D. 80-179, 45 FR 45580, July 7, 1980; T.D. 89-1, 53 FR 51265, Dec. 21, 1988]