19 USC 3722 - Protections against transshipment

U.S Code last checked for updates: Oct 17, 2024

§ 3722.

Protections against transshipment

(a)

Preferential treatment conditioned on enforcement measures

(1)

In general

The preferential treatment under section 3721(a) of this title shall not be provided to textile and apparel articles that are imported from a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country unless that country—

(A)

has adopted an effective visa system, domestic laws, and enforcement procedures applicable to covered articles to prevent unlawful transshipment of the articles and the use of counterfeit documents relating to the importation of the articles into the United States;

(B)

has enacted legislation or promulgated regulations that would permit United States Customs Service verification teams to have the access necessary to investigate thoroughly allegations of transshipment through such country;

(C)

agrees to report, on a timely basis, at the request of the United States Customs Service, on the total exports from and imports into that country of covered articles, consistent with the manner in which the records are kept by that country;

(D)

will cooperate fully with the United States to address and take action necessary to prevent circumvention as provided in Article 5 of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing;

(E)

agrees to require all producers and exporters of covered articles in that country to maintain complete records of the production and the export of covered articles, including materials used in the production, for at least 2 years after the production or export (as the case may be); and

(F)

agrees to report, on a timely basis, at the request of the United States Customs Service, documentation establishing the country of origin of covered articles as used by that country in implementing an effective visa system.

(2)

Country of origin documentation

(b)

Customs procedures and enforcement

(1)

In general

(A)

Regulations

(B)

Determination

(i)

In general

In order to qualify for the preferential treatment under section 3721 of this title and for a Certificate of Origin to be valid with respect to any article for which such treatment is claimed, there shall be in effect a determination by the President that each country described in clause (ii)—

(I)

has implemented and follows; or

(II)

is making substantial progress toward implementing and following,

procedures and requirements similar in all material respects to the relevant procedures and requirements under chapter 5 of the USMCA.

(ii)

Country described

A country is described in this clause if it is a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country—

(I)

from which the article is exported; or

(II)

in which materials used in the production of the article originate or in which the article or such materials, undergo production that contributes to a claim that the article is eligible for preferential treatment.

(2)

Certificate of Origin

(3)

Penalties for exporters

(4)

Transshipment described

(5)

Monitoring and reports to Congress

(c)

Customs Service enforcement

The Customs Service shall—

(1)

make available technical assistance to the beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries—

(A)

in the development and implementation of visa systems, legislation, and regulations described in subsection (a)(1)(A); and

(B)

to train their officials in anti-transshipment enforcement;

(2)

send production verification teams to at least four beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries each year; and

(3)

to the extent feasible, place beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries on the Electronic Visa (ELVIS) program.

(d)

Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 106–200, title I, § 113, May 18, 2000, 114 Stat. 263; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(d)(2), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 210; Pub. L. 116–260, div. O, title VI, § 602(a)(2), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2152.)

cite as: 19 USC 3722