12.42—Findings of Commissioner of Customs.
(a)
If any port director or other principal Customs officer has reason to believe that any class of merchandise that is being, or is likely to be, imported into the United States is being produced, whether by mining, manufacture, or other means, in any foreign locality with the use of convict labor, forced labor, or indentured labor under penal sanctions, including forced child labor or indentured child labor under penal sanctions, so as to come within the purview of section 307, Tariff Act of 1930, he shall communicate his belief to the Commissioner of Customs. Every such communication shall contain or be accompanied by a statement of substantially the same information as is required in paragraph (b) of this section, if in the possession of the port director or other officer or readily available to him.
(b)
Any person outside the Customs Service who has reason to believe that merchandise produced in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (a) of this section is being, or is likely to be, imported into the United States and, if the production is with the use of forced labor or indentured labor under penal sanctions, that merchandise of the same class is being produced in the United States in such quantities as to meet the consumptive demands of the United States may communicate his belief to any port director or the Commissioner of Customs. Every such communication shall contain, or be accompanied by, (1) a full statement of the reasons for the belief, (2) a detailed description or sample of the merchandise, and (3) all pertinent facts obtainable as to the production of the merchandise abroad. If the foreign merchandise is believed to be mined, produced, or manufactured with the use of forced labor or indentured labor under penal sanctions, such communication shall also contain (4) detailed information as to the production and consumption of the particular class of merchandise in the United States and the names and addresses of domestic producers likely to be interested in the matter.
(c)
If any information filed with a port director pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section does not conform with the requirements of that paragraph, the communication shall be returned promptly to the person who submitted it with detailed written advice as to the respects in which it does not conform. If such information is found to comply with the requirements, it shall be transmitted by the port director within 10 days to the Commissioner of Customs, together with all pertinent additional information available to the port director.
(d)
Upon receipt by the Commissioner of Customs of any communication submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of this section and found to comply with the requirements of the pertinent paragraph, the Commissioner will cause such investigation to be made as appears to be warranted by the circumstances of the case and the Commissioner or his designated representative will consider any representations offered by foreign interests, importers, domestic producers, or other interested persons.
(e)
If the Commissioner of Customs finds at any time that information available reasonably but not conclusively indicates that merchandise within the purview of section 307 is being, or is likely to be, imported, he will promptly advise all port directors accordingly and the port directors shall thereupon withhold release of any such merchandise pending instructions from the Commissioner as to whether the merchandise may be released otherwise than for exportation.
(f)
If it is determined on the basis of the foregoing that the merchandise is subject to the provisions of the said section 307, the Commissioner of Customs, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, will publish a finding to that effect in a weekly issue of the Customs Bulletin and in the Federal Register.
(g)
Any merchandise of a class specified in a finding made under paragraph (f) of this section, which is imported directly or indirectly from the locality specifed in the findings and has not been released from Customs custody before the date of publication of such finding in the Federal Register shall be considered and treated as an importation prohibited by section 307, Tariff Act of 1930, unless the importer establishes by satisfactory evidence that the merchandise was not mined, produced, or manufactured in any part with the use of a class of labor specified in the finding.
(h)
The following findings made under the authority of section 307, Tariff Act of 1930 are currently in effect with respect to the merchandise listed below:
| Merchandise | Country | T.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture, clothes hampers, and palm leaf bags | Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico | 53408 54725 |