Marking of Footwear

NY R05081 October 31, 2006 MAR-05-64:RR:E:NC:SP:247: R05081 CATEGORY: Marking Mr. John V. Pritchard Tonka Footwear Co. Zona Franca San Isidoro Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic RE: Marking of Footwear Dear Mr. Pritchard: In your e-ruling request dated October 18, 2006, you inquired whether the abbreviation “Dom. Rep.” for Dominican Republic would satisfy the marking requirements of 19 C.F.R. 134. As you state, 19 C.F.R. 134.45 provides that the full English name of the country of origin is required unless another marking to indicate the English name of the country of origin is specifically authorized by the Commissioner of Customs. HQ 561543 dated August 21, 2000 addresses your concern. That ruling held: Because the following abbreviations do not unmistakably identify their respective countries of origin, their use as an abbreviation for the country of origin of a product is not acceptable for purposes of 19 U.S.C. 1304 and 19 CFR Part 134: "Argen," "Austri," "Beliz," "Braz," "C Rica," "Dom Rep," "Germ," "Guate," "Hond," "Indo," "Jam," "Malay," "Philip," "Pol," "P Rico," "S Afri," "Thai" and "Venez."  In this regard, marking imported footwear “Dom. Rep.” will not satisfy the marking requirements of 19 C.F.R. 134. This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177). A copy of the ruling or the control number indicated above should be provided with the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If you have any questions regarding the ruling, contact National Import Specialist, Richard Foley at 646-733-3042. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director, National Commodity Specialist Division