"Not Illegal If Origin Is Stated According to International Practices"

Haengsimwi Cancels Fine Imposed on Incheon Customs for Violating Country of Origin Labeling Methods

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] An administrative adjudication decision has ruled that if the manufacturing date, company name, and country name are written according to the internationally accepted method of origin labeling when declaring imported goods to customs, it cannot be considered a violation of the law.

The Central Administrative Adjudication Committee under the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission decided to cancel the Incheon Customs' disposition that imposed a fine despite using the internationally recognized origin labeling method for imported goods in international trade.

According to the adjudication committee, Company A imported medical devices from Finland and declared the import to Incheon Customs by marking the manufacturing date, manufacturer name, address, and country name along with a factory symbol representing the manufacturer.

Incheon Customs imposed a fine on Company A, stating that their origin labeling method corresponded to "an inappropriate labeling method with an unknown origin."

Company A filed an administrative adjudication, claiming, "It is unfair to be fined despite it being clearly recognizable that the product's origin is Finland."

In response, the adjudication committee explained that the factory symbol is an internationally used labeling method recognized not only in Finland but also by the European Committee for Standardization as a symbol representing manufacturers.

The European Committee for Standardization is a standards organization responsible for implementing European Standards (EN), with 34 member countries including France, Germany, and Finland.

Furthermore, since the product includes not only the factory symbol but also the manufacturing date, manufacturer name, address, and country name, there is no concern that the origin could be mistaken for another country, so it was judged that the origin labeling law was not violated.

Kim Myungseop, Director of the Administrative Adjudication Bureau at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "The factory symbol used in international trade practices is clearly recorded along with the country name," adding, "It is difficult to see that this labeling method contradicts the legislative intent of the 'Foreign Trade Act,' which aims to establish fair trade order and protect consumers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.