Section 710Sec./Art. 710

Marking of Imported Goods and Containers. (A) Marking of Goods, Except as hereinafter provided, all goods of foreign origin imported into the Philippines or their containers, as provided in subsection (B) hereof shall be conspicuously marked in any official language of the Philippines as legibly, indelibly and permanently as the nature of the goods or container will permit and in such manner as to indicate to an ultimate purchaser in the Philippines the name of the country of origin of the goods. Pursuant thereto, the Commissioner shall, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance:

(1) Determine the character of words and phrases or abbreviation thereof which shall be acceptable as indicating the country of origin and prescribe any reasonable method of marking, whether by printing, stenciling, stamping, branding, labeling or by any other reasonable method, and in a conspicuous place on the goods or container where the marking' shall appear;

(2) Require the addition of other words or symbols which may be appropriate to prevent deception or mistake as to the origin of the goods or as to the origin of any other goods with which such imported goods is usually combined subsequent to importation but before delivery to an ultimate purchaser; and

(3) Authorize the exception of any goods from the requirements of marking if:

(i) Such goods are incapable of being marked;

(ii) Such goods cannot be marked prior to shipment to the Philippines without injury;

(iii) Such goods cannot be marked prior to shipment to the Philippines, except at an expense economically prohibitive of their importation;

(iv) The marking of a container of such goods will reasonably indicate the origin of such goods;

(v) Such goods are crude substances;

(vi) Such goods are imported for use by the importer and not intended for sale in their imported or any other form;

(vii) Such goods are to be processed in the Philippines by the importer or for the importer's account other than for the purpose of concealing the origin of such goods and in such manner that any mark contemplated by this section would necessarily be obliterated, destroyed, or permanently concealed;

(viii) An ultimate purchaser, by reason of the character of such goods or by reason of the circumstances of their importation, must necessarily know the country of origin of such goods even though they are not marked to indicate their origin;

(ix) Such goods were produced more than twenty (20) years prior to their importation into the Philippines; or

(x) Such goods cannot be marked after importation except at an expense which is economically prohibitive, and the failure to mark the goods before importation was not due to any purpose of the importer, producer, seller or shipper to avoid compliance with this section.

(B) Marking of Containers. Whenever goods are exempt under paragraph (3) of subsection (A) of this section from the requirements of marking, the immediate container, if any, of such goods, or such other container or containers of such goods, shall be marked in such manner as to indicate to an ultimate purchaser in the Philippines the name of the country of origin of such goods in any official language of the Philippines, subject to all provisions of this section, including the same exceptions as are applicable to goods under paragraph (3) of subsection (A).

(C) Pine for Failure to Mark. If, at the time of importation any good or its container, as provided in subsection (B) hereof, is not marked in accordance with the requirements of this section, there shall be levied, collected, and paid upon such good a marking duty of five percent (5%) of dutiable value, which shall be deemed to have accrued at the time of importation,

(D) Release Withheld Until Marked. No imported goods held in customs custody for inspection, examination, or assessment shall be released until such goods or their containers shall have been marked in accordance with the requirements of this section and until the amount of duty estimated to be payable under subsection (C) of this section shall have been deposited.

(E) The failure or refusal of the owner or importer to mark the goods as herein required within a period of thirty (30) days after due notice shall constitute as an act of abandonment of said goods and their disposition shall be governed by the provisions of this Act relative to abandonment of imported goods.