Customs Sees Spike in Number of Import-Related Errors

U.S. Customs is reporting a spike in reports of regulatory violations involving imports into the U.S. Some of these reported violations were submitted to Customs anonymously via the e-Allegations web portal, a system utilized to encourage parties with knowledge of inaccurate or fraudulent data reporting to notify Customs so that a proper investigation can take place.

Since January 1st over 15,000 e-Allegations submissions were made to U.S. Customs and Customs officials investigate each allegation and take further action as they deem necessary in order to enforce trade regulations and protect the United States. Importers who violate any of the numerous regulations that pertain to imported products can face severe civil penalties and in some cases even criminal charges can result from these investigations.
Importers must exercise due diligence and reasonable care and are ultimately responsible for any errors that are found by Customs. Penalties can be as high as three times the value of the import shipment!

Here are some of the areas Customs found to be of greatest concern:

1. Counterfeit trademarks and pirated copyrights
2. Inaccurate HTS classification of imported merchandise
3. Missing or inaccurate country of origin claims
4. Evasion of antidumping and countervailing duties
5. Evasion of trade remedy actions
6. Undervaluation of merchandise

We strongly urge importers to speak with an expert (customs broker, customs consultant or customs attorney) to review their import program and processes and to identify and address any possible risks. The cost of a self-audit is quite reasonable but the cost of non-compliance can be many, many times greater.

Please contact us today with your questions. We can assist you in conducting an audit of your processes and procedures to help you make sure you are in compliance. Email us at info@tradelogicintl.com