Bonded Warehouse, means any secure place or building appointed by the Director General of Customs in terms of Section 69 of the Customs ordinance subject to the approved of the Hon. Minister of Finance.

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"Shall mean any place provided by the Minister in which goods entered to be warehoused may be lodged, kept, and secured without payment of duty, although prohibited to be used in Sri Lanka. (S167 of the Customs Ordinance of Sri Lanka)"

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The Bonded Warehousing Scheme

Is the scheme to facilitate the establishment of a Bonded warehouse in Sri Lanka and under the rules and conditions of the department of Customs.

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Popular Applications of Bonded Warehousing Scheme

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• Specific Commodity warehousing (e.g. Sugar bonds),

• Duty Free Shops,

• Supply of Ship Stores,

• Bunker Operations,

• Multi Country Consolidations,

• Courier Services,

• Passenger Baggage Clearance,

• Plant in Bonds.

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CATEGORIES OF BONDED WAREHOUSES

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Public Bonded Warehouses

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• Owned and operated by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)

• Public General Bond where any approved importer could deposit imported goods until released for the approved procedure.

 

Private Bonded Warehouses

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• Owned and operated by private legal entities.

• Private General Bonds where any approved importer could deposit imported goods until released for the approved procedure.

• Private Trading Bonds, e.g. Bonds for the supply of ship stores, supply of raw materials for export processing, liquor bonds.

• Re-Export Facilitation Bonds, facilitates Multi Country Consolidation & Entrepôt Trade. Imported goods are deposited for subsequent re-export under Entrepôt Scheme, or as cargo consolidated with other cargo of several origins, usually to a single destination.

• Specific Commodity Bonds, e.g. Sugar Bonds, for the purpose of maintaining buffer stocks and supply for home use.

• Duty Free Bonds (Shops/Feeder/Service) for the duty-free sale of goods to embarking/disembarking passengers and to diplomatic missions.

• Unaccompanied Passenger Baggage (UPB) Bonds for the clearance of passenger baggage that are not accompanied by the passengers.

• Courier Bonds for the clearance of courier parcels and cargo

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General Operating Conditions

• No goods shall be entered until deposit of security

• No duty paid goods allowed

• Goods shall be properly marked and stowed

• Warehouse shall be locked and secured

• Opened only in the presence of Customs

• Concealed or illegally removed of goods forfeited

• No clandestine access to the goods

• No destruction of goods

• Goods to be cleared within 2 years

• …

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