Update on CBP's Detention or Testing of Sock Importations from 22 Countries
Broker Power has previously reported that, 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 have stated 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.
It has been 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 Chinese 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 02/12/04 news, 04021210, for BP summary of CBP's detaining and testing of certain socks.)
OTEXA's Major Shippers Report Lists 22 Countries for Cotton and MMF Hosiery
Subscribers should note that, based on December 2003 data, the Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA's) Major Shippers Report lists 22 countries as major shippers in cat 332 (cotton hosiery) and/or cat 632 (man-made fiber (MMF) hosiery). The 22 countries listed for one or both of these categories are (it is not known if this list is the same or similar to CBP's list of 22 targeted countries):
| Brazil | India |
| Canada | Indonesia |
| China | Italy |
| Colombia | Lebanon |
| Costa Rica | Mexico |
| Dominican Republic | Pakistan |
| Ecuador | Philippines |
| El Salvador | South Korea |
| Ghana | Taiwan |
| Guatemala | Thailand |
| Honduras | Turkey |
These countries appear as major shippers for cat 332 (cotton hosiery) only.
These countries appear as major shippers for cat 632 (MMF hosiery) only.
Subscribers should also note that China cat 332 is currently subject to quota and visa under China Group II and that China cat 632 is no longer subject to quota and visa.
(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.)
OTEXA's Major Shippers Report available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/msrpoint.htm