Import Controls

All shipments into the United States are subject to U.S. Customs Service (Customs) import requirements. As an importer, AFC® uses "reasonable care" in providing information to Customs, such as entry documentation, regarding the declared value and classification of our merchandise. The Customs website (www.cbp.gov) and regulations (19 C.F.R. Parts 1 to 192) provide guidance on how to comply with these obligations and determine the proper value and classification of goods.

AFC policy:

We adhere to all relevant Customs, FDA and EPA laws and regulations in the valuation and classification of imported goods.

We retain import records for five (5) years.

Penalties:

Customs may assess civil and/or criminal penalties, and has the authority to seize and impose a forfeiture of imported merchandise. Consequently, AFC compliance is critical.

Duty Rates

Import duty rates depend on several factors, including value, classification, and country of origin.

As a result:

Employees must:

  • determine the conditions of sale that must be included or excluded from the reported value of merchandise, in order to calculate an accurate ad valorem duty rate;
  • consult the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) in order to classify imports properly to calculate accurate tariffs;
  • route any classification ruling request through the Office of General Counsel; and
  • determine countries of origin and their impact on the duty rate for all imports

Product Markings

Every article of foreign origin, or its container, imported into the United States, must be conspicuously marked with the English name of the country of origin of the article, except for:

  • articles incapable of being marked,
  • articles that cannot be marked except at an economically prohibitive expense, and
  • articles for which the marking of the containers will reasonably indicate the country of origin.

As a result:

Even where articles are excepted from the marking requirement, the outermost container or holder must be marked with the country of origin unless it also meets an exception. The Customs Regulations provide guidance on marking requirements at 19 C.F.R. Part 134.

For more information:
The Customs Website
The HTSUS
The GSP (General System of Preferences)
NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement)
Office of General Counsel