T200 C Examining Merchandise Flashcards
Officers examine merchandise for many different reason including
Interdiction- interdict instruments of terror, narcotics, undeclared currency
Trade protection- to protect US from defective and dangerous goods
Revenue collection- to protect revenue
What are we looking for
-Trade compliance( quaota,marking, IPR)
-Other agency requirements
Prohibited and restricted items
Vehicles
Smuggled contraband and weapons
What is the primary way smuggled contraband and weapons detected
Merchandise examination
Trade compliance, how is it accomplished
- Customs modernization act
- ACS selectivity
- FAST
- Quotas and visas
- Markings
The mod act
Shares responsibility with importing community for achieving maximum compliance with US trade laws
What does ACS do
Sorts high risk from low risk cargo
Determines type of examination required
Types of examinations
No physical exam required
- General release
- General doc review
Physical exam required
- intensive exam
- stratified compliance exam
FAST
In southern birder must be CTPAT certified
Release high compliant, low risk shipments
Requires importer, driver to apply for FAST
Requires them to be CTPAT
QUOTA
Quota system controls amount of duty rate of certain commodities
Two types of quota merchandise
Absolute quota
Aka quantitive quota, is one that permits a number of units of specified merch
Tarrif quota-permits specified quantity of merchandise to be entered or withdrawn
What are visas for merchandise
Permission given by country to allow certain quantity of commodity to be exported
Enforce by CBP
Why examine merchandise
To thoroughly screen and examine 100% of the shipments that pose a risk to the US
Examining markings
Check they are in english
Noticeable location
Eligible and permanent
Refer to trade team leader or sup
Most acceptable method of marking
Done at time of manufacture
Country of origin marking
Must be marked where it was made
Exemptions
Buttons
Works of art
Ball bearings
Must wood packing materials be marked according to regulations, heat treated and fumigated
Yes or no
Yes
Wood packing
Mist be marked with
Country code
Producer number
Method of treatment
Types of violations
IPR Trade names Trademarks Copyrights Patents
Trade name is frequently called a brand name
True or false
True
Trademarks
Logo signs being used looking similiar
Copyrights
Copyright covers books, music, motion picture, computer software
Mist be registered with US copyright office and recorder with CBP
Patents
Novel or useful inventions
Other agency requirements
FDA
USDA
CPSC
What is a prohibited item
Cannot come into the US
What is a restricted item
Meeds permits and permission to come
Must all motor vehicles imported into the US be examined
Yes or no
Yes
Is CBP number one priority to interdict terrorist weapons and to stop the flow of currency that funds terrorism
Yes or no
Yes
Examining procedure must be done in what way
Systematic
Places of examinations
- Place of arrival
- Container freight station
- Centralized examination station
- Express consignment carrier facilities
- Importer premises
Initial examination steps
Review entry package and other docs
Use prd to screen shipment
Verify registration, license, security seal, and container number
If there is VACIS available should you use it
Yes
Analyze image
Release if no anomalies
Intensive and enforcement exams
Use all tools available
Examine 20%
Ensure six point access
Merchandise use NII
Stratified compliance exams (SCE)
Not permitted frequently
Follow specific process
Locate specific commodity within shipment
Examine commodity completely
Examination techniques: tunneling
Select percentage
Remove cargo to tunnel through front wall
Inspect removed contents
Examine conveyance
Continue till satisfied
Be conscious of confined spaces
Examination technique :100 %
Referred to as stripping or devanning
Remove all cargo examine it
Continue until no risk
What merits a 100% inspection
K9 alert
Specific intel
Id of high risk shipment
Officer judgement
Exam techniques: samples
- Further analysis or testing needed
- Requested by import specialist
Must be documented
Safety precautions
Wear gloves and other equip necessary
Ventilation Lifting technique Know contents before drilling Warning labels Work in teams Be aware heavy machinery
Haz mat
You are ultimately responsible for your own safety
Msds Placards Marking colors Id # Licenses Cargo matches manifest
After examination
Report findings
Record percentage of cargo examined
And findings
Route and file entry docs as necessary
Contraband concealed in merchandise
Merchandise examination primary way of finding that
Potential smuggling indicators
Signs of tampering Fresh, unusual fasteners Mismatched cargo Different packaging Different shipping effects Different commodity Unusual storage Different markings
Examination key points
Be systematic
Use less invasive technique
Limit access
Use your imagination
Should you look for concealment in packages
Yes or no
Yes
Crates
Double wall tops, sides, or bottom
Hollow wood slats
Hollow runner
Carton boxes
Between cardboard False bottom, side, top Inside corrugation In tape or banding overlap Plastic or fiberglass
Bales
Seams of covering
Bending
Middle of bale
Drum
Be alert for precursor material
False top, sides, walls
In seams
Middle of product
Cylinders and tanks
Contraband substituted for product
False walls
If drilling or sawing
No pressurized tank
Flammable vapor is inert
Bags and sacs
Seems
Center of the bag or sac
Rolls
Seams
Banding overlap
Strands or knots of rope
Hollowed out wooden cores
Basket
Woven material
Spaces between rows of cane or hemp
False tops, sides, bottoms
Basket within basket
Three main concealment methods smugglers use when concealing contraband in commodities
Inside commodity
Wrapped or layered around commodity
Replacing commodity with contraband
Will smugglers hollow legitimate commodities to conceal contraband inside
Yes or no
Yes
Will smugglers often hide contraband inside packages of legitimate commodities
Yes or no
Yes
Swill smugglers use boxes and packaging of legitimate commodities to conceal contraband
Yes or no
Yes
