US customs is circulating a new blacklist of 34 Hong Kong companies it 'suspects' of having been involved in illegal transshipment activities between the mainland and the United States.
The list, which is being distributed among importers and trade officials, takes the number of suspect firms to a little more than 100.
Importers buying from these factories could be the target of highly detailed requests for information about where the textiles were made, including having to provide original production documentation.
US customs warns that any importers doing business with these companies should exercise a higher degree of care in establishing the country of origin of the merchandise sold or exported.
In some cases, importers will seek alternative sources rather than run the risk of the delays and expense required to establish the origin of their orders.
In the past, factories have only been placed on the list after being prosecuted and convicted in Hong Kong or fined in Macau for illegal transshipment activities, such as making false origin declarations to obtain export visas.