US clarifies position on labeling of West Bank goods

On Wednesday, US Customs and Border Protection released a statement saying that some products made in the West Bank that are sold to the United States must be labeled as “Israel,” “Product of Israel” or “Made in Israel.”
“The notice establishes that producers within certain areas designated in the Oslo Accords and the Hebron Protocol must mark their goods as “Israel,” “Product of Israel,” or “Made in Israel” when exporting those goods to the United States. Parties that import these goods into the United States are responsible for ensuring compliance with the marking requirements,” the statement read.
Not all the products made in the West Bank will be labeled as Israeli when sent to the US.
The only products that must be called “Israel” are those areas “within the economic and administrative framework of Israel.”
“The country of origin marking requirements for goods produced in certain areas of the West Bank will be updated to reflect the fact that producers in these areas operate within the economic and administrative framework of Israel.”
“Goods produced in areas of the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority maintains relevant authorities shall be marked as products of “West Bank” and goods produced in Gaza shall be marked as products of “Gaza.””
This step came in response to the declaration in November by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that products made in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank are to be labeled “Made in Israel.” Previous US policy dictated that they be labeled “Made in West Bank.”