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Imported products
must be marked

Question: Many products imported from foreign countries have stickers saying, "Made in Korea" (or Japan, China or the Philippines, etc.). Is there any legal reason against removing the stickers? Does this constitute breaking the law? I've seen many foreign products sold without the stickers.

Answer: All articles of foreign origin entering the United States should be marked with the country of origin until it reaches the "ultimate consumer."

U.S. Customs is responsible for regulating markings on products of foreign origin, while the Federal Trade Commission oversees "Made in U.S." claims and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitors nutritional labeling on foreign food products.

The mark noting country of origin should be made as permanently as possible until it reaches the ultimate consumer (such as a retail customer), said Kathy Wong, senior import specialist with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (now part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) in Honolulu.

"Flimsy" stickers that might come off during normal handling are discouraged. "We like to see a really sticky sticker" if one is being used, Wong said.

The requirements on foreign importations, as you can imagine, are lengthy and complicated.

"An increasing number of goods and products, such as textiles, clothing, automobiles, boats, radios, CD players, television sets and medical devices, are subject to special standards, declarations, certification, marking or labeling requirements," according to Customs.

Sewn-in labels noting the country of origin are required on wearing apparel, for example, Wong said. On top of that, the FTC has its own requirements, such as the fiber content of the material used and either the manufacturer's or importer's name, she said.

Customs tries to "examine as much (of the imported products) as we can," Wong said, but obviously can't look at everything.

If you are seeing violations, call Customs' trade offices in Honolulu at 356-4100 with details, "and we'll try to follow up," she said.

Most importers know what the rules are, Wong said, but there have been violators. Customs does have the authority to seize shipments because of repeated violations.

In her field of textiles, for example, Wong said: "We've given a number of 'informed compliance' (notices) to importers. If they've had two shipments that are not in compliance, we issue them a 'marking warning letter.'" If yet another violation occurs, the next shipment could be seized.

Just as it is important to make sure that "Made in the USA" labels are genuine, it's important that people know that something was manufactured outside the United States, Wong said.

"Consumers are a lot wiser today," and there are many who "wish to buy products made in the United States" or "made in Hawaii," she said. "There are a lot of things coming in from Asian countries, like the Philippines, that look like Hawaii products, but they in fact are not made here."

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