Answer first
Core rule
Section 134.32 exceptions generally remove the article-marking requirement, not every container requirement. Unless the container is also excepted, the outermost container in which the article ordinarily reaches the ultimate purchaser must indicate the article's origin. The §134.33 J-list covers listed classes, not every small, bulk, or low-value article. Other agencies' independent marking or labeling requirements remain applicable. This is the current-law baseline reviewed on 2026-08-18; for a CBLE question, confirm the CFR and other references designated for that exam sitting before choosing the exam answer.
Authority and lookup route
Locate the rule before returning to the facts. Links point to government or official publications.
Reference lookup task
For §134.32(d), (f), (g), and (h), decide separately whether the article and its usual or outermost container must be marked.
Route: Read the selected exception in §134.32, then return to §134.22 and the statutory container rule in 19 U.S.C. 1304(b).
Worked example
Imported wire is expressly listed in §134.33 and is sold in a sealed box that ordinarily reaches the ultimate purchaser unopened. The wire is unmarked, but the box clearly states the wire's country of origin. Is the stated marking arrangement consistent with Part 134?
- 1Verify that the article itself is a listed J-list article under §134.33.
- 2Treat the article exception separately from the container rule.
- 3Identify the sealed box as the outermost container ordinarily reaching the ultimate purchaser.
- 4Confirm that the box communicates the wire's origin to that purchaser.
Conclusion: Yes, on the stated facts: the listed article may be excepted from individual marking while the outermost container identifies the article's origin.
Common traps
- Treating an article exception as an automatic container exception.
- Using the J-list for an article that is merely small or difficult to mark but not actually listed.
- Marking only the container's own origin while failing to identify the origin of its contents.
- Assuming a Part 134 exception overrides an independent FDA, FTC, or other agency requirement.