---
kind: "section"
citation: "19 U.S.C. § 1588"
title: "19"
title_heading: "Customs Duties"
number: "1588"
heading: "Transportation between American ports via foreign ports"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/19/1588"
units:
  - "Chapter 4 — Tariff Act of 1930"
  - "Subtitle III — Administrative Provisions"
  - "Part V — Enforcement Provisions"
---

# §1588. Transportation between American ports via foreign ports


If any merchandise is laden at any port or place in the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) upon any vessel belonging wholly or in part to a subject of a foreign [country](/usc/19/1677.md?p=3), and is taken thence to a foreign port or place to be reladen and reshipped to any other port in the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9), either by the same or by another vessel, foreign or American, with intent to evade the provisions relating to the transportation of merchandise from one port or place of the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) to another port or place of the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) in a vessel belonging wholly or in part to a subject of any foreign power, the merchandise shall, on its arrival at such last-named port or place, be seized and forfeited to the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9), and the vessel shall pay a tonnage duty of 50 cents per net ton.


## Source credit

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 588, 46 Stat. 749.)