Wyden Praises Customs Actions Against Illegal Chinese Imports

CBP Uses New Enforcement Tools Created By Wyden’s Enforce and Protect Act

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded Customs & Border Protection (CBP) for moving quickly against illegally laundered imports from China. CBP used tools created by legislation written by Senator Wyden to strengthen the enforcement of U.S. trade remedy laws, and crack down on evasion that harms U.S. workers and businesses.

“We are seeing concrete results of the new trade enforcement tools I created to prevent bad actors from undermining our workers and manufacturers. These tools let CBP act quickly to stop merchandise laundering and other illegal trade activity in its tracks. Even before an investigation is complete, once it finds that there is a likely violation, CBP has the authority to put in place interim measures to protect U.S. businesses. I encourage CBP to continue its aggressive pursuit of these cases.”

On August 17, CBP released information on ten actions taken in four investigations under the Enforce and Protect Act, enacted as part of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. First, it announced a final determination against Eastern Trading for evading an anti-dumping duty order on wire hangers. CBP found that Eastern Trading imported Chinese hangers through Thailand, evading the duties placed on those hangers to protect U.S. businesses. CBP initiated the investigation on October 11, 2016 and imposed interim measures on Eastern Trading on December 13, 2016, based on reasonable suspicion of evasion.

Also today, CBP announced interim measures in three other investigations, based on a reasonable suspicion that the imports are evading antidumping orders imposed on products from China. The products include (1) diamond sawblades purported to be imported from Thailand; (2) wire hangers purported to be imported from Malaysia by eight different actors; and (3) wooden bedroom furniture where the identities of producers are misidentified, resulting in a lower duty rate. According to CBP, the two wire hanger cases alone have resulted in CBP preventing the evasion of over $33 million dollars in unpaid antidumping duties. In total, CBP has initiated 14 investigations since the Enforce and Protect Act came into force last August.

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