19 CFR Part 134 · 5 exam questions
19 CFR 134.33: J-List exceptions
The text of 19 CFR 134.33, followed by every released customs broker license exam question whose answer rests on it. Drawn from 5 released sittings, April 2018 through October 2021.
Edition shown: the 2025 annual edition of Title 19, revised as of April 1, 2025. It is the edition the October 2026 customs broker exam is graded against, and it can differ from the regulation in force today. For the current official text see 19 CFR 134.33 on eCFR.
§ 134.33 J-List exceptions.
Articles of a class or kind listed below are excepted from the requirements of country of origin marking in accordance with the provisions of section 304(a)(3)(J), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1304(a)(3)(J)). However, in the case of any article described in this list which is imported in a container, the outermost container in which the article ordinarily reaches the ultimate purchaser is required to be marked to indicate the origin of its contents in accordance with the requirements of subpart C of this part. All articles are listed in Treasury Decisions 49690, 49835, and 49896. A reference different from the foregoing indicates an amendment.
How the exam tests 134.33
Each question below is a real released question with the answer CBP credited, the authority it rests on, and an explanation of why that answer is right.
April 2018, Q77. Which item is listed on the j-list?
- ABundles of red-cedar shingles
- BFinished Leather
- CSnelled Fish Hooks
- DBarbed Wire
- ESponges
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is E) Sponges because the J-list explicitly includes sponges under 19 CFR 134.33, which excepts them from country-of-origin marking requirements as per 19 U.S.C. 1304(a)(3)(J). The other options are not listed in the J-list; the authority text does not mention bundles of red-cedar shingles, finished leather, snelled fish hooks, or barbed wire as items exempt from origin marking under this provision. The answer is derived directly from the cited regulations, which specify sponges as the only correct option.
October 2019, Q22. All of the following are part of the J-List except:
- ASteel Bands
- BBriarwood in blocks
- CStaples
- DRaw hides
- ECotton fabric
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is E) Cotton fabric because the J-List exceptions under 19 CFR 134.33 specifically exclude cotton fabric from the list of articles exempt from country of origin marking requirements. The other options (steel bands, briarwood in blocks, staples, and raw hides) are explicitly included in the J-List as per the cited authority. Since the question asks for the exception, cotton fabric is the only item not covered by the J-List exemptions.
October 2020 (AM), Q25. Which item is NOT listed on the J-List and therefore subject to country of origin marking requirements?
- AFlowers, cut
- BFurniture
- CFirewood
- DFeathers
- EFlooring, not further manufactured
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is B) Furniture because the J-List, as outlined in 19 CFR 134.33, explicitly excludes furniture from the list of items exempt from country of origin marking requirements. Items like cut flowers (A), firewood (C), feathers (D), and flooring (E) are included in the J-List and thus are excepted from marking requirements, whereas furniture is not listed and must be marked. The authority confirms that only items specifically enumerated in the J-List are exempt, and furniture is not among them.
October 2020 (PM), Q26. The J-List Exceptions list is defined as items that do not require country of origin marking. All of the following are on the list except:
- AFeathers
- BCeramic vases
- CArt work
- DChristmas trees
- ESponges
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is B) Ceramic vases because the J-List Exceptions, as outlined in 19 CFR 134.33, exclude items like feathers, sponges, and certain art or Christmas trees, but ceramic vases are not among the listed exceptions. The authority specifies that only items explicitly included in Treasury Decisions 49690, 49835, and 49896 are exempt, and ceramic vases are not referenced in those decisions. The other options are explicitly or implicitly covered by the exceptions, while ceramic vases are not.
October 2021, Q10. An arts and crafts store will be importing a container of 150 four-hole rim buttons that are three inches in diameter and one half inch thick from France. Each button is imported in its own separate, sealed paper envelope. The store will sell the envelopes of buttons in a large bin mixed with other envelopes of buttons. Where must the importer mark the country of origin of the buttons?
- AOn the front rim of the button
- BOn the outermost display bin that will contain the envelopes of buttons
- COn the outer edge of the button
- DOn the envelope containing the button
- EOn the back of the button
Show the answer and explanation
The correct answer is D because the outermost container in which the buttons reach the ultimate purchaser is the sealed paper envelope, not the bin or the button itself. Under 19 CFR 134.33, when articles are imported in containers, the outermost container that the article "ordinarily reaches the ultimate purchaser" must be marked. Here, the envelope is the container that the customer receives, while the bin is a display tool, not the final container. Options A, C, and E are parts of the button itself, which are not required to be marked under the rule. Option B refers to the bin, which is not the outermost container reaching the ultimate purchaser.
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Start practising freeOther sections of Part 134 the exam tests
- 19 CFR 134.2 (7 questions)