U.S. CUSTOMS LISTS TEXTILE TRANSSHIPMENT, ORIGIN RULE VIOLATORS

U.S. CUSTOMS LISTS TEXTILE TRANSSHIPMENT, ORIGIN RULE VIOLATORS    U.S. Customs has published a list of overseas companies that have been issued a penalty claim for violating the country’s textile transshipment and rules of origin rules.
   Section 592A of the Tariff Act requires the Treasury Department secretary to publish a list of the names of producers, manufacturers, suppliers, sellers, exporters or other persons outside the United States in the Federal Register that have violated'certain customs laws.
   These violations include:
   * Using documentation used by the importer which indicates a false country of origin for textile or apparel products.
   * Using or providing counterfeit visas, licenses, permits, bills of lading, or similar documents to enter textile and apparel products into the United States.
   * Manufacturing, producing, supplying or selling textile or apparel products which are falsely labeled as to the country of origin.
   * Engaging in the practice to illegally transship textile and apparel products through a third country to the United States.
   On April 5, Customs published a notice in the Federal Register which identified 23 entities penalized under section 592A. The current list, for the period ending Sept. 30, comprises: Austin Pang Gloves & Garments Factory Ltd. of Hong Kong; Beautiful Flower Glove Manufactory of Hong Kong; BF Manufacturing Co. of Hong Kong; Everlast Glove Factory in Hong Kong; Everlite Manufacturing Co. in Hong Kong; Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario E-Full Lda. of Macau; Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario Fan Wek Limitada of Macau; Fairfield Line (HK) Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong; G.P. Wedding Service Centre in Hong Kong; G.T. Plus Ltd. in Hong Kong; Lucky Mind Industrial Ltd. of Hong Kong; and Mabco Ltd. of Hong Kong.
   Provision is made in Customs’ rules for an appeal to the Treasury secretary by a named person to be removed from the list. Otherwise, the name would be removed not less than three years after the publishing date, and only if no repeat violations occurred during that period.
   Customs is also soliciting information from the import industry regarding the whereabouts of five Hong Kong entities concerning illegal textile and apparel transshipments and rules of origin violations. The firms are Au Wi Wedding Dresses Co., Golden Wheel Garment Factory, Lai Cheong Gloves Factory, Maxwell Garment Factory, and Tak Hing Textile Co. Ltd. If an importer has information about any of these five firms, they are urged to contact Customs’ Office of Field Operation at (202) 927-0100.