A question of trust
In the past, Israel’s import regime required importers to present laboratory test results and standards approvals as a condition for the release of products subject to mandatory standards. Over the years, this policy changed, with greater reliance being placed on importers and, in appropriate cases, consignments being released on the basis of the importer’s declaration that the products comply with the applicable standards requirements.
However, where the Standards Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry identifies breaches relating to compliance with standards requirements, it may notify an importer of its intention to designate it as a “trust violator”. This may occur, for example, where a product is sampled from the market and testing reveals that it does not comply with the applicable standard, contrary to the importer’s declaration on the basis of which the consignment was released from customs supervision. The Commissioner of Standardization’s procedures prescribe additional grounds on which an importer may be designated as a trust violator.
Such a designation may have significant consequences: the importer may lose various regulatory concessions previously available to it and become subject to a more stringent regime of testing and supervision.
The firm represents importers in written and oral hearing proceedings before the Ministry of Economy and Industry – whether to prevent or overturn their designation as trust violators or, in appropriate cases, to shorten the period for which that status applies and mitigate its consequences.