After months of heated debate over the European Union (EU) labeling products made in Judea and Samaria, the US is now quietly doing the same, but without the fuss or discussion.
The US Customs Department released a statement last Saturday reminding importers of a regulation from 1995 that goods produced in the West Bank must be labeled as such, and not labeled “Made in Israel”.
“Goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza Strip shall be marked as originating from ‘West Bank,’ ‘Gaza,’ ‘Gaza Strip,’ ‘West Bank/Gaza,’ ‘West Bank/Gaza Strip,’ ‘West Bank and Gaza,’ or ‘West Bank and Gaza Strip’. It is not acceptable to mark the aforementioned goods with the words ‘Israel,’ ‘Made in Israel,’ ‘Occupied Territories-Israel,’ or any variation thereof. Goods that are erroneously marked as products of Israel will be subject to an enforcement action carried out by US Customs and Border Protection,” the memo read.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner was asked at a press conference if this was intended as a rebuke to Israel for recent settlement expansion.
He responded that it was “simply a restatement of previous requirements” and does not “impose additional requirements”. He stressed that it was in no way a boycott.
It was pointed out that the policy had not been enforced in 20 years.
Toner claimed the decision to enforce it now came as a result of recent complaints, but he declined to specify where the complaints originated.
breakingisraelnews
VS verplicht labelen van producten uit nederzettingen
