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So, what is the OFFICAL and generaly accepted defintion of the term "Import Part" ???

Based on my experience across many conversations (both Packard and NON-Packard) across many situations the term is used when one is describing a part of UNknown origin, UNknown manufacturer or of UNknown quality (whether good or bad) OR at best vague and sometimes ambiguous.

I have never heard the term "Import Part" to be used in any context when the manufacturer (regardless of country of origin) is known. e.g.: A Suzuki Samuari alternator (Nippendenso) IS an import part but never refered to as such. It is refered to as specifically Suzuki, Samurai or Nippondenso alternator.

eBay sellrs and various other NON- Packard vendors i deal with off and on will often (tho not always) describe their merchandise as "Import". THis is usually construed to be as of unknow origin, UNtested and/or unknown quality.

I just went to Urban Dictionary. "Import Part" or any variation is not yet defined there.

So apparently it could mean different things to different people.

We might start out with something like "a part whose country of origin is other than the country it's been received into.

Some of you might find it interesting to view the U.S. Customs regulations on "Country of Origin" marking on imported products. I was a pretty good student of these regulations at one time for a major U.S. chemical corporation, but too far back for me to comment on now and of course such regulations are pretty dynamic and have no doubt changed since my time.

I think most-at least in the areas I've been around- associate the term "import part" to a part normally found on what would be considered an imported vehicle back in the days before so many were assembled here. Doing a search with that term brings up numerous dealers of foreign makes mixed in with a few that are advertising "domestic" and "import" parts.

Don't think country of manufacture is even part of the mix any more in that connotation--but more the country the brand is associated with. The terms I'm most familiar with as meeting your mixed or questionable quality is "no name part" or "knockoff part".

Granted, that can mean almost anything from anywhere but believe price is the key factor. As long as it is considerably cheaper than one usually found at a dealership or even the better known stores, it's a knockoff. Think Harbor Freight.

HH56, thanks for elaborating. Of course the requirements are far different for assemblies of many parts than for a single individual part or component which is what I was thinking of.

Aren't cars sold in the US all required to show the US content as a %? I know the last several I've bought have shown that information. I'd have to look up to see how the % is calculated.

Excerpt from U.S. Customs tips for importers. You'd have to go to the Code of Federal Regulations to get the real scoop.

MARKING
35. Country-Of-Origin Marking
U.S. customs laws require that each article produced abroad and imported into the
United States be marked with the English name of the country of origin to indicate to the
ultimate purchaser in the United States what country the article was manufactured or
produced in. These laws also require that marking be located in a conspicuous place as
legibly, indelibly and permanently as the nature of the article permits. Articles that are
otherwise specifically exempted from individual marking are also an exception to this
rule. These exceptions are discussed below.
Marking Required
If the article⎯or its container, when the container and not the article must be
marked⎯is not properly marked at the time of importation, a marking duty equal to 10
percent of the article's customs value will be assessed unless the article is exported,
destroyed or properly marked under CBP supervision before the entry is liquidated.
Although it may not be possible to identify the ultimate purchaser in every
transaction, broadly stated, the "ultimate purchaser" may be defined as the last person in
the United States who will receive the article in the form in which it was imported.
Generally speaking, when an article is imported into and used in the United States to
manufacture another article with a different name, character or usage than the imported
article, the manufacturer is the ultimate purchaser. If an article is to be sold at retail in its
imported form, the retail customer is the ultimate purchaser. A person who subjects an
imported article to a process that results in the article's substantial transformation is the
ultimate purchaser, but if that process is only minor and leaves the identity of the
imported article intact, the processor of the article will not be regarded as the ultimate
purchaser.
When an article or its container is required to be marked with the country of
origin, the marking is considered sufficiently permanent if it will remain on the article or
container until it reaches the ultimate purchaser.

I believe there is a % requirement to be considered a domestic vs imported vehicle but I don't know what it is. Thought there was also a combination of where was design work done and vs parts origin vs assembly point a factor.

I seriously doubt you can find one car anywhere anymore that is all made or has all content from a single country. I do believe both quality parts and cheap junk is available from any country and relative price is usually the determining factor. Unfortunately that is becoming very hard for the end consumer to judge anymore with so many variables country to country in the world economy. That's when you have to start trusting your dealer.

Quote:

Great stuff Dave! It makes me wonder if re-boxing an item can be considered a "substantial transformation" and therefore the present box need not state the country of origin. I only ask this because when I used to work at a mom and pop auto store we switched lines from Raybestos to Wagner, and we ended up putting all the Raybestos parts we had on the shelf into Wagner brake boxes. NONE of the new boxes had the country of origin on them as well the part. I voiced my opinion on this as we were doing it but apparently it is completely legal and therefore hides the origin of the part. To me this practice is completely unacceptable then as much as it is now. When I buy something from anyone I expect to know where it is from. Especially with all the things that have been coming in from China, like lead based paint, bedbugs, etc. See:
associatedcontent.com/article/2687385/ch ... k_recall_2008_unearths_another.html

associatedcontent.com/article/2687385/ch ... k_recall_2008_unearths_another.html

nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02toy.html

associatedcontent.com/article/299925/fish_from_china_yet_another_recall.html

And the kicker for us in the Automotive business:

wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/reca ... -auto-parts-are-a-mounting-concern/

I refuse to buy anything made in China, and I think that if someone sells something made in China they need to state so in their sales catalogs as well as on the box the part is in and the part itself.

Regarding a "significant transformation", it's been years but I can give a real example I encountered with purchasing acids like sulfuric or whatever from China in the 70s. To simply filter it to remove incidental debris did not quality for a significant transformation. To process it to remove enough trace metals and the like to now make it qualify for use in making semiconductors, which it would not have otherwise done, was a significant transformation.

Another exception to the marking requirement was where it was obvious by the name. For example "Belgian Chocolates" did not require marking of Product of Belgium. Etc., you get the idea.

This is a long and complex business, and probably not productive to go much further.

Quote:

Yes, I agree. I think before some of continued to get wrapped around the axle on this we be thankful we have parts available to keep our Packard running regardless of where they came from.

There is a lot of economics involved in producing any part or item. Design, tooling, manufacturing, shipping, general overhead, etc. So all that expense has to be amortized across the run of parts. It may take a vendor years to sell a run of parts.

I find the folks that complain the most, tend to understand the least. So lets get back to actually talking about Packards rather the having the same circular conversation.

Quote:Sorry, not related, but following from Kevs words a joke I just received seems to fit the bill!

A blond ran over an innerspring mattress on the highway,
and decided not to worry -- and kept on driving.
It caught on the undercarriage of her Ford.

The ensuing jumble finally whipped around enough
to tear a hole in the fuel tank.

The subsequent lack of fuel is what finally
Brought her vehicle to its knees.

She had managed to drive 30 miles,
with a 60 pound tangle of stuff wrapped around her drive shaft.

She had it towed to her Ford dealership, and complained
that the vehicle had a 'sort of a noise'
when she was driving at high speeds.

Below are the photos of what they
found at her Ford Dealership....................

The last photo is by far the best.

"Sort of a noise" -- I'll bet it did!

They Still Can't Believe Their Eyes.
And Still Wondering How To Remove It!

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