Violation of Import Requirements for Safety Goods: 19 Million Items Seized... "Equivalent to 58.3 Billion KRW"

A total of 19 million units of household safety products that did not meet import requirements were seized by customs authorities. The market value of the seized goods amounts to approximately 58.3 billion KRW.

The Korea Customs Service announced on the 5th that it conducted customs investigations from January to August and uncovered a large number of goods violating import requirements that were being brought into the country from overseas without prior safety approval.

Customs investigations are comprehensive actions that not only verify whether taxes on imported goods have been accurately declared and paid but also examine the legality of customs clearance in accordance with various export and import requirements.

The main goods seized during the customs investigations (market value) include ▲‘pharmaceutical therapeutics and functional cosmetics (24.6 billion KRW)’ that did not receive toxicity test approval ▲‘household chemical products for humidifiers (17.9 billion KRW)’ that lacked confirmation of safety and efficacy ▲‘high-pressure gas containers (6.6 billion KRW)’ that missed safety inspections.

In particular, considering that medical devices and supplies are directly related to public health, the Korea Customs Service selected 13 high-risk companies evading import requirements through data analysis among about 2,000 companies importing such goods, and conducted focused investigations on these companies. As a result, 7 companies were caught attempting to import goods worth approximately 9.1 billion KRW without prior approval procedures.

Among the seized companies, it was also confirmed that some imported human cells used as raw materials for advanced bio-pharmaceuticals for laboratory experiments and research without properly undergoing safety verification and management procedures. The Korea Customs Service plans to propose and consult with related agencies on measures to improve such practices by these companies.

A Korea Customs Service official stated, “Companies that fail to comply with safety approval requirements for imported goods may be fined an amount equivalent to the sales value. Each company must consult with professional customs brokers handling their import declarations to verify the relevant laws and import customs regulations for the items and must strictly fulfill their obligations.”

He added, “The Korea Customs Service will continue to strengthen customs investigations on import requirements and plans to prepare supplementary measures to address institutional shortcomings.”

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