SA could do with the US Customs approach

JOY ORLEK US CUSTOMS and Border Protection (CBP) has since October 2005 seized more than US$10 million in goods that were “misdescribed” in an effort to evade duty or quotas on textiles being brought into the country, according to internet news service SchedNet. It’s the kind of robust approach for which Textile Federation executive director Brian Brink has repeatedly called to stem the flood of undervalued goods into the local market. According to Brink a survey undertaken last year revealed that the average price of clothing imported into SA in 2004 from China was $1.30 to $1.50 dollars a piece (R7-8). The same average price into the US was $3.50(R21) and that’s because of more rigorous customs controls in the US, says Brink. A statement from US authorities said that some importers circumvented quotas during transhipment as they changed the country of origin of their goods. Others used false documents or labels or provided incorrect descriptions of the merchandise. CBP officers use enforcement tools such as on-site verification of manufacturers to prevent trade laws being flaunted.