Inspection of commodities with compulsory or CARICOM Standards

(1) Where a compulsory standard is declared for any commodity, or if there is not such a standard, where a Caribbean Community Standard has been recognized in respect of that commodity, that commodity shall, if imported, be examined by an Inspector on entry before being delivered out of the charge of the Customs Department. (2) Where a sample of an imported commodity is taken, the Inspector shall, as soon as may be practicable, thereafter complete and serve, where necessary, the notices referred to in regulation 3(2)(b) and 3(3) and submit the sample to a laboratory or test house for testing or analysis. 32 (3) Where on the basis of an analysis or test it is determined that samples of an imported commodity are not in conformity with the relevant compulsory standard, or a Caribbean Community Standard, as the case may be, the Inspector shall send a report of the analysis or test to the Comptroller of Customs and to the importer and subject to subregulation (4) below, that commodity shall not be admitted into Belize. (4) Where in the opinion of the Inspector, an imported commodity is capable of being suitably modified so as to effect conformity with the compulsory standard, or the CARICOM Standard, as the case may be, the commodity may be admitted for the modification to be carried out under the supervision and the satisfaction of the Bureau. (5) The Minister may waive the requirements of sampling and analysis of any shipment of designated imported commodity if– (a) a sample of a similar commodity from the same country of origin is analyzed or tested by a designated laboratory or test house and is found to be in conformity with the Compulsory Standard or the CARICOM Standard, as the case may be; (b) a sample of the commodity taken from a shipment is analyzed or tested in the country of origin by a designated laboratory or test house and is found to be in conformity with the Compulsory Standard or the CARICOM Standard, as the case may be, and a certificate of the analysis or test submitted is acceptable to the Director of the Bureau; or (c) the commodity is marked with a standards mark which the Minister recognizes by notice published in the Gazette. 33