§ 327.10 - Samples; inspection of consignments; refusal of entry; marking.

§ 327.10 Samples; inspection of consignments; refusal of entry; marking.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 87 FR 63423, Oct. 19, 2022.

(a) Program inspectors may take, without cost to the United States, for laboratory examination, samples of any product which is subject to analysis, from each consignment offered for importation, except that such samples shall not be taken of any product offered for importation under § 327.16.

(b) Except for product offered for entry from Canada, the outside containers of all products offered for entry from any foreign country and accompanied with a foreign inspection certificate as required by this part, which, upon reinspection by import inspectors are found not to be adulterated or misbranded and are otherwise eligible for entry into the United States under this part, or the products themselves if not in containers, shall be marked with the official inspection legend prescribed in § 327.26 of this part. Except for Canadian product, all other products so marked, in compliance with this part, shall be entered into the United States, insofar as such entry is regulated under the Act.

(c) Product which is inspected and rejected shall be marked “U.S. Refused Entry” as shown in § 327.26(c). Such marks shall be applied to the shipping container or the product itself if not in a container.

(d) The inspection legend may be placed on containers of product before completion of official import inspection if the containers are being inspected by an import inspector who reports directly to an Import Field Office Supervisor; the product is not required to be held at the establishment pending the receipt of laboratory test results; and a written procedure for controlled stamping, submitted by the import establishment and approved by the Director, Import Inspection Division, is on file at the import inspection facility where the inspection is to be performed.

(1) The written procedure for controlled pre-stamping should be in the form of a letter and shall include the following:

(i) That stamping under this part will be limited to those lots of product which can be inspected on the day that certificates for the product are examined;

(ii) That all product which has been pre-stamped will be stored in the facility where the import inspection will occur;

(iii) That inspection marks applied under this part will be removed from any lot of product subsequently refused entry on the day the product is rejected; and

(iv) That the establishment will maintain a daily stamping log containing the following information for each lot of product: the date of inspection, the country of origin, the foreign establishment number, the product name, the number of units, the shipping container marks, and the MP-410 number covering the product to be inspected. The daily stamping log must be retained by the establishment in accordance with the requirements of § 320.3.

(2) An official import establishment's controlled pre-stamping privilege may be cancelled orally or in writing by the inspector or other Agency employee who is supervising its enforcement whenever the inspector employee finds that the official import establishment has failed to comply with the provisions of this part or any conditions imposed pursuant thereto. If the cancellation is oral, the decision or action and the reasons therefor shall will be confirmed in writing, as promptly as circumstances allow. Any person whose controlled pre-stamping privilege has been cancelled may appeal the decision to the Administrator, in writing, within ten (10) days after receiving written notification of the cancellation. The appeal shall or action in accordance with 9 CFR 500.9. The appeal must state all of the facts and reasons upon which the person relies to show that the controlled pre-stamping privilege was wrongfully cancelled. The Administrator shall grant or deny the appeal, in writing, stating the reasons for such decision, as promptly as circumstances allow. If there is a conflict as to any material fact, a hearing shall be held to resolve such conflict. Rules of practice concerning such a hearing will be adopted by the Administrator. The cancellation of the controlled pre-stamping privilege will be in effect until there is a final determination of the proceeding.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0583-0015)

[35 FR 15610, Oct. 3, 1970, as amended at 53 FR 17014, May 13, 1988; 54 FR 41048, Oct. 5, 1989; 87 FR 63423, Oct. 19, 2022]