3/15/2009
NEWS BRIEFS
Customs Official Details Grade 5 Investigative Process
“It can vary widely.”
That’s how U.S. Customs official Kevin McCann described his office’s response to allegations of mismarked fasteners and other imported products.
Reached by FastenerNews.com at his office in Washington DC, McCann declined to comment on Customs’ ongoing investigation of reportedly mismarked Grade 5 cap screws manufactured by Tycoon’s in Thailand. Reports indicate field agents from Customs are probing allegations of imported Grade 5.2 cap screws incorrectly marked as Grade 5 cap screws.
The Fastener Industry Education Group has warned distributors to immediately quarantine mismarked Grade 5 cap screws.
While he could not discuss the investigation, McCann specified a range of outcomes for allegations of trade misconduct submitted to his office.
When an allegation is submitted, officials review them within a day to determine if there is any truth to the claim. “Allegations range from some having no merit to others that can be very serious,” McCann stated.
McCann, part of the commercial targeting division at the Office of International Trade, said his office holds weekly meetings to determine how to handle allegations that warrant further inquiry.
In general, allegations are assigned out within a week if action is required. The severity of the potential misdeed determines the speed of the process, McCann explained.
Customs’ trade office operates under a “framework of priority issues”: textiles, which generate more than 40% of the duties collected by Customs; antidumping and countervailing issues; agriculture; import safety (“Certain fastener issues [involving public safety] can fall into this category,” McCann explained); and intellectual property rights.
Once an allegation has been certified for further information, Customs assigns international trade specialists to gather information on the claim. These specialists can email a port to dispatch local import officials to visit the importer named in the allegations and view records or inspect inventory.
In rare cases, the information discovered by this examination can be forwarded to criminal investigators for possible charges. Customs also has the authority to stop suspect shipments “on the water.”
But the vast majority of cases are dealt with through financial penalties issued by Customs. And public notice is rarely given in such cases.
“Only those companies who violated import rules will be notified of our determination.”
McCann noted that many industries don’t respond to a Customs investigation as quickly as the fastener industry has in the Grade 5 case.
“We were surprised at the speed with which this news spread,” McCann noted.
Related Stories:
• FIEG: Pull Mismarked Thailand Grade 5 Bolts
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