(a) General. Domestic status may be granted to merchandise:

(1) The growth, product, or manufacture of the U.S. on which all internal-revenue taxes, if applicable, have been paid;

(2) Previously imported and on which duty and tax has been paid; or

(3) Previously entered free of duty and tax.

(b) Application. No application or permit is required for the admission of domestic status merchandise, including domestic packing and repair material, to a zone, except upon order of the Commissioner of Customs. No application or permit is required for the manipulation, manufacture, exhibition, destruction, or transfer to Customs territory of domestic status merchandise, including packing and repair materials, except: (1) When it is mixed or combined with merchandise in another zone status, or (2) upon order of the Commissioner of Customs. When the Commissioner orders a permit to be required for domestic status merchandise, he may also order the procedures, forms, and terms under which the permit will be received and processed.

(c) Return of merchandise of Customs territory. Upon compliance with the provisions of this section, any of the merchandise specified in paragraph (a) of this section, may subsequently be returned to Customs territory free of quotas, duty, or tax.