240 FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 
ART. 23. The responsibility of the chamber of commerce begins from the 
moment in which the merchandise is deposited in the warehouses directly 
operated by it and ends when the merchandise is withdrawn by the owner or 
his representative. 
INSPECTION OF MERCHANDISE 
ART. 24. Nobody except the depositors or their representatives are admitted 
to inspect the merchandise, to open or alter the packages, to make surveys, to take 
samples, or in any way to manipulate it. Those who in performing the above 
operations need the assistance of third parties must make a special written appli- 
cation to the inspector of the zone. All communications, however, made 0 
persons known to be employed by the depositors or their shippers shall be con- 
gidered as made directly to the despositor himself. 
ART. 25. In case of transfer of the ownership of the stored merchandise the 
certificate of deposit shall have to be returned, and the accumulated storage dues 
shall have to be paid. A new certificate of deposit will then be issued under the 
name of the new owner. However, as regards the beginning of the running of 
the storage dues and the application of extra charges, the original date of intro- 
duction of the goods shall always be considered as original date for all dues. 
ART. 26. In case of loss of the certificate of deposit no withdrawal of goods will 
be permitted until a new certificate be issued and the payment of storage dues 
affected. 
The counterfoil of the lost certificate will be canceled by the inspector and the 
notation made on it will have to be signed also by the despoitor. 
ART. 27. All goods stored in the name of the same depositor are a guaranty 
with priority over anybody else or anything else for payment of the storage and 
demurrage dues, and other eventual expenditures mentioned in article 27 will 
have been paid. 
However, if the merchandise is withdrawn in portions at several times the total 
dues will have to be paid when the last part is withdrawn, provided the value of the 
last portion of the merchandise be sufficient, according to the sole judgment of the 
chamber of commerce, to cover the whole amount due. 
The receipt for the payment will always be made in the name of the depositor 
and only one receipt will be issued even if the withdrawal of the merchandise 
was made at separate times. 
ART. 29. At the end of every year all matured dues for the stored goods must 
be paid even if they continue to remain stored in the same warehouse. 
No merchandise whatever will be delivered to the depositor who does nob 
comply with the above and without prejudice of legal proceedings in order t0 
anforce payment of the matured dues. 
The certificate of deposit existing at the date of December 31 must be presented 
for renewal to the inspector’s office before the 15th of January. No delivery 
will be made after the latter date to those who do not comply with this rule. 
ART. 80. Goods stored in private warehouses or in warehouses sublet by the 
chamber of commerce are stored for account and risk of the despositors. 
PRIVATELY OPERATED WAREHOUSES 
ArT. 31. Anyone intending to operate a privately owned warehouse musb 
make an application, eventually signed also by the owner of the warehouse or 
by his legal representative, to the chamber of commerce. . 
The lessee must inform the chamber of commerce of all changes in the ownershiP 
of the premises which may occur during the lease. 
When the lessee wishes to give up the operating of the warehouse he mus? 
return the permit to the chamber of commerce, making on it a special notatio? 
to that effect.