PUBLIC LAW 101-592—NOV. 16, 1990 104 STAT. 2949 (A) as products manufactured within a nation which is party to a congressionally-approved free trade agreement with the United States that is in effect, so long as the Secretary certifies that satisfactory arrangements have been reached by which purchasers within the United States can readily gain access to an original laboratory testing report for such fasteners; or (B) as Canadian-origin products under the United States- Canada. Canada Automobile Pact for use as original equipment in the Motor vehicles, manufacture of motor vehicles. (c) OPTION FOR IMPORTERS AND PRIVATE LABEL DISTRIBUTORS.—(1) Notwithstanding section 5(a) and subsections (a) and (b) of this section, delivery of a lot, or portion of a lot, of fasteners may be made to an importer or private label distributor without the required original copy of the laboratory testing report if— (A) the manufacturer provides to the importer or private label distributor a manufacturer's certificate certifying that the fasteners have been manufactured according to the requirements of the applicable standards and specifications; and (B) the importer or private label distributor assumes responsibility in writing for the inspection and testing of such lot or portion by a laboratory accredited in accordance with the procedures and conditions specified by the Secretary under section 6. (2) If the importer or private distributor assumes the responsibility in writing for the inspection and testing of such lot or portion, the provisions of section 5(a) and subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall apply to the importer or private label distributor in the same manner and extent as to a manufacturer; except that the importer or private label distributor shall provide to the testing laboratory the manufacturer's certificate described under paragraph (1) of this subsection. (d) ALTERATIONS SUBSEQUENT TO MANUFACTURE. — (1) Any person who significantly alters a fastener so that such fastener no longer conforms to the description in the relevant certificate issued under section 5(c), and who thereafter offers for sale or sells such altered fastener, shall be treated as a manufacturer for purposes of this Act and shall cause such altered fastener to be inspected and tested under section 5 or this section as though it were newly manufactured, unless delivery of such fastener to the purchaser is accompanied by a written statement noting the original lot number, disclosing the subsequent alteration, and warning that such alteration may affect the dimensional or physical characteristics of the fastener. (2) Any person who knowingly sells an altered fastener and who did not alter such fastener shall provide to the purchaser a copy of the statement required by paragraph (1). (e) COMMINGLING. — (1) Subject to paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any manufacturer or any person who purchases any quantity of fasteners for resale at wholesale to commingle like fasteners from different lots in the same container; except that such manufacturer or such person may commingle like fasteners of the same type, grade, and dimension from not more than two tested and certified lots in the same container during repackaging and plating operations: Provided, That any container which contains like fasteners from two lots sheill be conspicuously marked with the lot identification numbers of both lots. (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to sales by original equipment manufacturers to their authorized dealers for use in assembling or
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