§ 12.130 - Textiles and textile products country of origin.

(a) General. Textile or textile products subject to section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), include merchandise which is subject to the provisions of the International Arrangement Regarding Trade in Textiles (The Multi-Fiber Arrangement).

(1) Is in chief value of cotton, wool, or man-made fibers, or any textile fibers subject to the terms of any textile trade agreement, or any combination thereof; or

(2) Contains 50 percent or more by weight of cotton or man-made fibers, or any textile fibers subject to the terms of any textile trade agreement; or

(3) Contains 17 percent or more by weight of wool; or

(4) If in chief value of textile fibers or textile materials, contains a blend of cotton, wool, or man-made fibers, or any textile fibers subject to the terms of any textile trade agreement, or any combination thereof, which fibers, in the aggregate amount to 50 percent or more by weight of all component fibers.

(b) Country of origin. For the purpose of this section and except as provided in paragraph (c), a textile or textile product, subject to section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, imported into the customs territory of the United States, shall be a product of a particular foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S., if it is wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of that foreign territory or country, or insular possession. However, except as provided in paragraph (c), a textile or textile product, subject to section 204, which consists of materials produced or derived from, or processed in, more than one foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S., shall be a product of that foreign territory or country, or insular possession where it last underwent a substantial transformation. A textile or textile product will be considered to have undergone a substantial transformation if it has been transformed by means of substantial manufacturing or processing operations into a new and different article of commerce. However, the origin of products of Canada and Mexico, and the origin of textile and apparel products covered by § 102.21 of this chapter, are determined pursuant to the procedures set forth in part 102 of this chapter.

(c) Articles exported for processing and returned—(1) Applicability to U.S. articles sent abroad. Chapter 98, Subchapter II, Note 2, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, provides that any product of the U.S. which is returned after having been advanced in value or improved in condition abroad, or assembled abroad, shall be a foreign article for the purposes of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. In order to have a single definition of the term “product of” and, therefore, a single country of origin for a textile or textile product, notwithstanding paragraph (b), merchandise which falls within the purview of Chapter 98, Subchapter II, Note 2, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, may not, upon its return to the U.S., be considered a product of the U.S.

(2) Applicability to U.S. insular possession products processed outside the insular possession. Unless otherwise required by law, the rules of origin applicable to products of the U.S. shall also apply to products of insular possessions of the U.S. Accordingly, notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, for purposes of section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, products of insular possessions of the U.S., if imported into the U.S. after having been advanced in value, improved in condition, or assembled, outside the insular possessions shall not be treated as products of those insular possessions.

(d) Criteria for determining country of origin. The criteria in paragraphs (d) (1) and (2) of this section shall be considered in determining the country of origin of imported merchandise. These criteria are not exhaustive. One or any combination of criteria may be determinative, and additional factors may be considered. However, the origin of products of Canada and Mexico, and the origin of textile and apparel products covered by § 102.21 of this chapter, are determined pursuant to the procedures set forth in part 102 of this chapter.

(1) A new and different article of commerce will usually result from a manufacturing or processing operation if there is a change in:

(i) Commercial designation or identity,

(ii) Fundamental character or

(iii) Commercial use.

(2) In determining whether merchandise has been subjected to substantial manufacturing or processing operations, the following will be considered:

(i) The physical change in the material or article as a result of the manufacturing or processing operations in each foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S.

(ii) The time involved in the manufacturing or processing operations in each foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S.

(iii) The complexity of the manufacturing or processing operations in each foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S.

(iv) The level or degree of skill and/or technology required in the manufacturing or processing operations in each foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S.

(v) The value added to the article or material in each foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S., compared to its value when imported into the U.S.

(e) Manufacturing or processing operations. (1) Except for products of which the origin is Canada or Mexico and except for textile and apparel products (the origin of such products is determined pursuant to the procedures set forth in part 102 of this chapter), an article or material usually will be a product of a particular foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S., when it has undergone prior to importation into the U.S. in that foreign territory or country, or insular possession any of the following:

(i) Dyeing of fabric and printing when accompanied by two or more of the following finishing operations: bleaching, shrinking, fulling, napping, decating, permanent stiffening, weighting, permanent embossing, or moireing;

(ii) Spinning fibers into yarn;

(iii) Weaving, knitting or otherwise forming fabric;

(iv) Cutting of fabric into parts and the assembly of those parts into the completed article; or

(v) Substantial assembly by sewing and/or tailoring of all cut pieces of apparel articles which have been cut from fabric in another foreign territory or country, or insular possession, into a completed garment (e.g. the complete assembly and tailoring of all cut pieces of suit-type jackets, suits, and shirts).

(2) An article or material usually will not be considered to be a product of a particular foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S. by virtue of merely having undergone any of the following:

(i) Simple combining operations, labeling, pressing, cleaning or dry cleaning, or packaging operations, or any combination thereof;

(ii) Cutting to length or width and hemming or overlocking fabrics which are readily identifiable as being intended for a particular commercial use;

(iii) Trimming and/or joining together by sewing, looping, linking, or other means of attaching otherwise completed knit-to-shape component parts produced in a single country, even when accompanied by other processes (e.g. washing, drying, mending, etc.) normally incident to the assembly process;

(iv) One or more finishing operations on yarns, fabrics, or other textile articles, such as showerproofing, superwashing, bleaching, decating, fulling, shrinking, mercerizing, or similar operations; or

(v) Dyeing and/or printing of fabrics or yarns.

(f) Declaration of manufacturer, producer, exporter, or importer of textiles and textile products. All importations of textiles and textile products subject to section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, shall be accompanied by the appropriate declaration(s) set forth in paragraph (f)(1) or (f)(2) of this section. Textiles or textile products subject to section 204 include that merchandise described in § 12.130(a). All importations of textiles and textile products not subject to section 204 shall be accompanied by the declaration set forth in paragraph (f)(3) of this section. The declaration(s) shall be filed with the entry. The declaration(s) may be prepared by the manufacturer, producer, exporter or importer of the textiles and textile products. If multiple manufacturers, producers, or exporters are involved, a separate declaration prepared by each may be filed. A separate declaration may be filed for each invoice which is presented with the entry. The determination of country of origin, other than as set forth in paragraph (g) of this section, will be based upon information contained in the declaration(s). The declaration(s) shall not be treated as a missing document for which a bond may be filed. Entry will be denied unless accompanied by a properly executed declaration(s)

(1) Single foreign territory or country, or U.S. insular possession. Textiles or textile products which are wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of a single foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S., or assembled in a single foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S. of fabricated components which are in whole the product of the U.S. and/or the single foreign territory or country, or insular possession of the U.S. shall be identified in a declaration which is substantially in the following form:

(2) More than one foreign territory or country, or U.S. insular possession. Textiles and textiles products which were subjected to manufacturing or processing operations in, and/or incorporate materials originating in more than one foreign territory or country, or an insular possession of the U.S. or were assembled in, and/or incorporate fabricated components which are the product of the U.S. and more than one foreign territory, country or insular possession of the U.S., shall be identified in a declaration which is substantially in the following form:

(3) Textiles and textile products not subject to section 204. Textiles and textile products not subject to section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, (see paragraph (a) of this section for products subject to section 204), shall be accompanied by the declaration set forth below:

(g) Incomplete or insufficient information. If the port director is unable to determine the country of origin of an article from the information set forth in the declaration, the declarant shall submit such additional information as requested. Release of the article from Customs custody will be denied until the determination is made based upon the information provided or the best information available. In this regard if incomplete or insufficient information is provided, the port director may consider the experience and costs of domestic industry in similar manufacturing or processing operations.

(h) Shipments covered by an informal entry. While a declaration is not required for shipments covered by an informal entry, the port director may require such other evidence of the country of origin as deemed necessary. The filing of the appropriate declaration will be required in a case involving consolidation of individual shipments under §§ 12.131 and 143.22 of this chapter.

(i) Date of exportation. For quota, visa or export license requirements, and statistical purposes, the date of exportation for textiles or textile products, subject to section 204, Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, shall be the date the vessel or carrier leaves the last port in the country of origin, as defined by this section. Contingency of diversion in another foreign territory or country shall not change the date of exportation for quota, visa or export license requirements or for statistical purposes.