US DHS unveils better strategy to fight illicit textile-garment trade

Two DHS agencies, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), will further enhance their work together to protect the integrity of US markets, hold perpetrators accountable for customs violations and safeguard the domestic textile industry.

The plan will involve intensified cracking down on small package shipments, joint trade special operations, increased customs audits and foreign verifications, and the expansion of the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, a DHS release said.

Joint CBP-HSI trade special operations will be conducted to ensure cargo compliance. This includes physical inspections, country-of-origin, isotopic and composition testing, and in-depth reviews of documentation.

CBP will issue civil penalties for violations of US laws and coordinate with HSI to develop and conduct criminal investigations when needed.

Risk will better assessed by expanding customs audits and increasing foreign verifications. DHS personnel will  conduct comprehensive audits and textile production verification team visits to high-risk foreign facilities to ensure that textiles qualify under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement or the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

An education campaign will be started to ensure that importers and suppliers in the CAFTA-DR and USMCA region understand compliance requirements and are aware of CBP’s enforcement efforts.

The UFLPA entity list will be expanded to identify malign suppliers for the trade community.

DHS has already started implementing this plan, building on ongoing efforts to ensure compliance.

The National Council for Textile Organisations (NCTO) welcomed the DHS textile enforcement plan.

“The essential and vital domestic textile supply chain has lost 14 plants in recent months. The industry is facing severe economic harm due to a combination of factors, exacerbated by customs fraud and predatory trade practices by China and other countries, which has resulted in these devastating layoffs and plant closures. DHS immediately understood the economic harms facing the industry and deployed the development of a critical action plan,” said NCTO president and chief executive officer Kim Glas.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the United States Fashion Industry Association also appreciated the DHS announcement and urged DHS to partner with them and their members.

“A successful enforcement plan must include input from all stakeholders, clear communication with the trade, and coordinated activities with importers, especially if DHS finds illicit activity happening in the supply chain. The results of any illicit activities must be shared so that our members and other importers can act quickly to address the issue,” the associations said in a joint statement.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)