Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise in International Shipping

In international shipping-certain merchandise is either prohibited or restricted from entering the commerce of the United States. It can be international shipping QUOTA (For example, absolute quotas establish a specific quantity of merchandise that can enter the United States. After this amount has been entered, no additional amount of these same international shipping articles can enter the commerce of the United States until a new quota amount has been established.); RESTRICTED; PROHIBITED; merchandise produced in a foreign country using CONVICT or FORCED LABOR, etc.

RESTRICTED international shipping merchandise becomes PROHIBITED if it does not meet the approval by a specific Government Agency's requirement. (I.e., for Cars - DOT or EPA; Food - Food & Drugs Administration; Electronics - FCC; Alcohol - ATF; Fish & Wildlife, etc.)

As long as an item becomes prohibited, there are 4 (four) choices only:

EXPORT it;
DESTROY it on the Customs supervision or;
PLACE IT INTO A BONDED WAREHOUSE no later than confirming the regulation, exporting, or destroying it.
PLACE IT IN THE FOREIGN ZONE for later. Either conform to the regulation, export, or destroy it.

International shipping can be exported in some cases with U.S. government approval only.
Example: Obscene magazines may be exported with U.S. Government approval to a country that is NOT prohibited.

TEST QUESTION:
IF RESTRICTED INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING MERCHANDISE IS EXPORTED, ALL DUTIES WILL BE PAID WITHOUT A REQUEST. I.e., customs automatically refunds all duties paid for restricted items exported after entry.

Examples of international shipping-restricted merchandise:
1. TEST QUESTION: Switchblade international shipping knives are prohibited for importation, except if imported for or by a branch of the U.S. Army or entered by an individual for his personal use if that individual has only one arm (a popular test question).
2. International shipping lottery tickets ARE allowed to be moved within the USA, but NOT allowed for importation.
3. White phosphorus in international shipping matches is prohibited because it becomes explosive if put together.
4. Abortion printed materials in international shipping are legal for printing by some organizations in the USA, but NOT allowed for importation.

TEXTILE DECLARATION. 19 CFR 12.130-132

Some questions on the exam RELATED TO TEXTILE can look like HTS questions. However, THOSE QUESTIONS ARE RELATED TO RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED MERCHANDISE. Always look at 12.130-132, which are questions related to textiles.

For example, it states:
(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
... Silk does not count, etc.

Miscellaneous for international shipping: Prohibited and Restricted Merchandise:

1. See the front page of CFR 12 to see what is restricted.

2. 19CFR 12.26 says: ...wild animals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, etc. ARE PROHIBITED for international shipping..., but then it designates that a permit is required for the export ...unless there has been issued and presented in connection with entry a proper U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit authorizing the import transaction...

3. only antique articles imported under 10.53 can be entered through specific ports in international shipping.

4. Foreign Assets Control. Controls assets that belong to foreign governments and tries to ship them to the USA internationally.

5. Obscene and immoral matter. Seizure; disposition of international shipping seized articles; Prohibited films 12.40 - 41

6. Any internationally shipping merchandise produced in a foreign country using convict or forced labor CANNOT be imported into the United States unless it can be established that it is in the best interest of the United States to allow the importation of such international shipping goods. This can only be done by proving that the production of these articles in the United States does not meet the consumptive needs of the United States.

7. A formal ENTRY is required FOR ALL DANGEROUS GOODS.

8. In international shipping, unfair methods of competition or unfair acts in importing merchandise will result in prohibited importation. Immoral articles will be detained, and a sample will be given to the U.S. Attorney for consideration. Immoral international shipping pieces encompass obscene books or reading material, as well as articles advocating treason or insurrection against the United States.

9. Special requirements enforced by Customs are required for international shipping of milk and milk products issued by HEW and for meat and meat products issued by the Department of Agriculture's Meat Inspection Division.

10. Tea importations are subject to the standards of the Tea Act of 1897 and Food and Drug, and the regulations of HEW require a release permit and must be submitted with the international shipping entry.

11. List other internationally shipping articles that may fall under the restricted or prohibited category:

AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
Cheese, Milk, and Dairy Products, Fruits,
Vegetables and Nuts
Insects
Livestock and Animals
Meat and Meat Products
Plant and Plant Products
Poultry and Poultry Products

ARMS, AMMUNITION. RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
Arms, Explosives, and Implements of War
Radioactive Materials
Nuclear Reactors

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Household Appliances
Flammable Fabrics

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
Radiation & Sonic Equipment (medical x-ray, etc.)
Radio Frequency Devices

FOOD. DRUGS, COSMETICS
Biological Drugs
Biological Materials
Narcotic Drugs and Derivatives
Drug Paraphernalia

GOLD. SILVER. CURRENCY
Gold and Silver
Counterfeit Articles
Monetary Instruments (over $10,000)

PESTICIDES
Pesticides
Toxic Substances
Hazardous Substances

TEXTILES
Textile Products
Wool
Fur

TRADEMARKS
Trademarks
Trade Names
Copyrights

WILDLIFE
Wildlife
Pets

OTHER MISCELLANEOUS
Foreign Asset Control against Cambodia, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Laos
Obscene and Immoral Matter
Petroleum and Petroleum Products
Products of Convict or Forced Labor
Steel and Machine Tools
Pre-Columbian Items
Cultural Property and Ethnological, Murals, Paintings.
Architecture and Sculptures from Peru, Guatemala, Italy (Roman), Greece, Cyprus, Mali, Bolivia, Cambodia, and Honduras.