With the start of the London Olympics 2012, much hub-bub has been made about the official uniforms of the U.S. Olympic Team . Specifically, it seems that the “pride of America”–Team U.S.A., proudly wearing the red, white and blue, was not exactly manufactured in America. Rather, news broke that the U.S. uniforms were made in China. Although the fact that the official uniform for the U.S. Olympic Team was not of U.S. origin and may have ruffled some patriotic feathers, the country of origin of imported merchandise is important for other reasons.
The origin of imported merchandise can affect admissibility, rate of duty, eligibility for special programs, quotas, antidumping or countervailing duties, procurement by government agencies, and marking requirements. CBP requires that each imported article produced abroad be marked in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly and permanently as the nature of the article permits. The English name of the country of origin should clearly indicate where the article was manufactured or produced to the ultimate purchaser in the U.S. If the article (or the container) is not properly marked at the time of importation, a marking duty equal to 10 percent of the customs value of the article will be assessed unless the article is exported, destroyed or properly marked under CBP’s supervision prior to liquidation of the entry.
Read the complete article here.
Source: Adonica Wada | Simon Gluck & Kane LLP
