Definition
"Bonded" means held under customs bond: the goods have not paid import duty because they are not entering the country — they are leaving with the ship. ISSA's Provisions & Bonded Stores Catalogue lists the typical lines: tobacco, spirits, wine, beer, body care, perfume and clothing.[1]
Each country writes its own rules, but they rhyme. In the United States, supplies for qualifying vessels may be withdrawn from bond duty-free, and stores beyond the vessel's reasonable requirements are treated as cargo. Singapore Customs approves the vessels and suppliers, sets per-crew duty-free allowances (for example 40 cigarettes a day), requires delivery no more than 24 hours before departure and forbids use within port limits, with the master signing for the goods.[2,3,4]
On board, bonded stores go into a locker that the local customs may seal while the ship is in port; quantities are declared on arrival and the seal is broken only after departure. For the buyer that means bonded orders need the ship's ETD, crew number and the master's or agent's paperwork in good time, and a supplier licensed to deliver from bond at that port. Rules at UAE ports are set by the relevant emirate's customs — ask the supplier or agent for the current procedure before you order.
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Sources
- [1] ISSA — Ship Stores and Provisions & Bonded Stores catalogues — https://www.shipsupply.org/issa-catalogue/
- [2] 19 U.S. Code § 1309 — Supplies for certain vessels and aircraft (Cornell LII) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1309
- [3] 19 CFR § 4.39 — Stores and supplies (Cornell LII) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/19/4.39
- [4] Singapore Customs — Supply of air and sea stores — https://www.customs.gov.sg/businesses/exporting-goods/export-procedures/supply-of-air-sea-stores
A working definition for buyers, not legal advice — the contract, the convention text and your club or class have the last word.