CBP is Detaining or Testing Sock Importations from 22 Countries In Order to Verify Country of Origin
According to trade and U.S. government sources, effective from February 2, 2004 through April 30, 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is detaining or sending to a laboratory for testing, importations of socks from at most 22 targeted countries, in order to verify their country of origin.
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Sources state that CBP is detaining sock importations from 18 of the 22 targeted countries, while laboratory testing (without detention) is being conducted on sock importations from the other four countries.
For those sock importations that are detained, sources state that CBP may ask for production records and/or other documents to verify, among other things, that the socks were produced in the country that is identified to CBP as the "country of origin."
Sources add that sock importations from the four countries that are subject to laboratory testing are not being detained but are instead subject to conditional release.
In addition, sources state that CBP expects to narrow the focus of its detentions and/or laboratory testing of sock importations to fewer countries over the approximate three month time period of February 2, 2004 through April 30, 2004, as CBP expects to determine that certain countries that are the declared country of origin, actually are the country of origin.
It is reported that CBP has taken this action due to the concerns of the domestic sock industry and others who believe a significant volume of sock importations identified as originating in a country other than China, are actually of China origin, and are illegally circumventing China quota and visa requirements by being falsely documented as originating in one of the 22 targeted countries.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 01/29/04 news, 04012915 for BP summary of other targeted CBP documentation exams, where for example, CBP found, in a six month time period, $75 million in Chinese apparel claiming false "country of origin", etc.)