(a) Records retention for five years. Every common carrier, conference or agreement shall maintain original signed service contracts, amendments, and their associated records in an organized, readily accessible or retrievable manner for a period of five (5) years from the termination of each contract.

(b) (paragraph (b) is stayed until further notice.) Where maintained. (1) Service contract records shall be maintained in the United States, except that service contract records may be maintained outside the United States if the Chairman or Secretary of an agreement or President or Chief Executive Officer of the carrier certifies annually by January 1, on a form to be supplied by the Commission, that service contract records will be made available as provided in paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Penalty. If service contract records are not made available to the Commission as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the Commission may cancel any carrier's or agreement's right to maintain records outside the United States pursuant to the certification procedure of paragraph (b) of this section.

(c) Production for audit within 30 days of request. Every carrier or agreement shall, upon written request of the FMC's Director, Bureau of Enforcement, any Area Representative or the Director, Bureau of Trade Analysis, submit copies of requested original service contracts or their associated records within thirty (30) days of the date of the request.

(d) Agreement service contracts. In the case of service contracts made by agreements, the penalties for a failure to maintain records pursuant to this section shall attach jointly and severally on all of the agreement members participating in the service contract in question.

[64 FR 11206, Mar. 8, 1999, as amended at 85 FR 38089, June 25, 2020]