Is your product marked correctly?
U.S. Customs Country of Origin Marking Regulations
Customs Regulations Sec.134.11 Country of Origin Marking Required:
Unless excepted by law, 304, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1304), requires that every article of foreign origin (or its outer container) imported into the United States shall be marked in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly, and permanently as the nature of the article will permit, in such a manner as to indicate to the ultimate purchaser in the United States the English name of the country of origin of the article(s) at the time of importation. Containers of articles excepted from marking shall be marked with the name of the country of origin of the article unless the container is also excepted from marking.
C.R. 134.46 Marking When Name of Country or Locality Other Than Country of Origin Appears:
In any case in which the words "U.S.," or "American," the letters "U.S.A.," any variation of such words or letters, or the name of any city or locality in the U.S., or the name of any foreign country or locality other than the country or locality in which the article was manufactured or produced, appear on an imported article or its container, there shall appear, legibly and permanently, in close proximity to such words, letters or name, and in at least comparable size, the name of the country of origin preceded by "Made in," "Product of," or other words of similar meaning.
C.R. 134.43 Methods of Marking Specific Articles:
(a) Marking previously required by certain provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930. Articles of a class of kind listed below shall be marked legibly and conspicuously by die stamping, cast in the mold lettering, etching (acid of electrolytic), engraving or by means of metal plates which bear the prescribed marking and which are securely attached to the articles in a conspicuous place by welding screws or rivets, knives, forks, steels, cleavers, clippers, shears, scissors, safety razors, surgical instruments, dental instruments, scientific and laboratory instruments, pliers, pincers, nippers and hinged hand tools for holding and splicing wire, vacuum containers, and parts of the above articles. U.S. Customs strictly enforces the country of origin marking requirements and can assess additional duties and penalties for non-compliance.
SPECIAL NOTE: This information is strictly about marking of country of origin on U.S. imports and is for general information purposes only. Reliance solely on this general information may not be considered reasonable care. Recognizing that many complicated factors may be involved in origin issues (raw materials are from one country while the product is assembled in another), an importer may wish to obtain a binding ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For more information please see determining the correct Country of Origin to use under the Customs Regulations, 19 CFR Part 177. Please be aware that in addition to this information, certain products are subject to additional labeling requirements. For example, clothing must have labels indicating fabric content and washing instructions. Other products with special labeling requirements include tobacco (the Surgeon General’s Warning Statement), food and pharmaceuticals, and automobiles. Please refer to the following link for more detailed information:
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/trade/markingo.ctt/markingo.doc
