Changes to Customs Regulations Regarding Textile and Apparel Products

Issue 490, October 10, 2005

On October 5th the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the implementation of an interim rule resulting in changes to the CPB regulations involving the country of origin of textiles and apparel products.

Due to reasons outlined in the Federal Register notice, the interim rule became effective October 5, 2005 and a comment period will be open until December 5, 2005 prior to the finalization of the rule.

The changes resulting from this interim rule have a major effect on the importing requirements for textile and apparel products.

	Elimination of requirement of Textile Declaration submission for all importations of textile and apparel products
	Requirement of Importers to identify the manufacturer of such products through a Manufacturers Identification Code (MID)
	Specific edits within 19 CFR dealing with textile and apparel products (19 CFR parts 12, 102, 141, 144, 146, and 163)

Textile Declaration:
CPB holds the discontinuance of the textile declaration requirement to be a removal of a burden on the importer, as they will no longer have to create and supply this document

Manufacturers Identification Code (MID) Requirement:
CBP is now requiring importers of textile and apparel goods to include on the CBP from 3461 (Entry/Immediate Delivery) and CBP Form 7501 (entry Summary), and all electronic data transmissions that require identification of the manufacturer, a manufacturer's identification code (MID) which is derived from the name and address of the entity performing the origin-conferring operations. This requirement will assist CBP in verifying the country of origin of the imported textile and apparel products, there upholding the U.S.'s international obligations by properly enforcing the international textile restraint agreements to which the U.S. is a party. CBP is responsible for correctly determining the country of origin of textile and apparel imports to prevent goods from entering the U.S. with false country of origin. The MID requirements will also assist in ensuring that only those textile imports that are eligible to receive preferential trade benefits receive those benefits. As such, importers must be able to provide the above information within their import documentation.

To view the actual Federal Register Notice on the interim rule, go to the following site: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a051005c.html