CBP to Soon Launch Documentation Exams of Certain Knit-to-Shape Garments
According to U.S. government sources, within the next week to ten days U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to begin documentation exams of certain entries of knit-to-shape garments in HTS 6110 which claim a country of origin other than China (i.e., that the garment's panels are knit-to-shape in a country other than China and then sent to China to be linked and looped).
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(U.S. government sources have previously stated that CBP has found evidence that quota is being circumvented in certain situations, with both the knitting-to-shape and the linking and looping occurring in China, without claiming China as the country of origin.)
CBP's documentation exams are expected to focus on either one country or a group of countries at a time.
For shipments of knit-to-shape garments that are detained, one U.S. government source opined that importers can expedite the exam process by being able to quickly respond to a CF 28 (Request for Information) with documentation indicating the movement of yarn to the knitter and the movement of knit panels to China. U.S. government sources have confirmed that such documentation should include commercial transportation and clearance documents (e.g., invoices and packing lists).
BP Notes1. CBP has been conducting various 'targeted' documentation exams of textiles and apparel for over one year, the most recent of which involved socks. (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/19/04 news, 04041905, for BP summary on the termination of this exam.)
2. U.S. government sources now state that CBP is considering whether to launch a "document accuracy test" of non-quota (entry type '01') textiles and apparel. U.S. sources had previously characterized this test as "planned." (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/27/04 news, 04022705, for previous BP summary on CBP's plans to conduct this test.)