The Task Force partners with CBP and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with United States trade laws. To combat trade fraud, including avoidance of import duties, the Justice Department created a Trade Fraud Task Force. Miller of CBP. “The partnership between CBP and the Justice Department provides a critical safeguard to protect the revenue of the United States.” Customs and Border Protection will pursue even the largest companies to ensure that all importers follow the rules our intent is to enforce the customs laws fairly, which means that non-compliance is not an option for anyone,” said Senior Official Performing Duties of the Commissioner Troy A.
“This settlement, which is one of the largest customs penalty settlements in recent history, demonstrates that U.S. “The government will not permit companies to evade duties by adding sham features to their products and then misclassifying them.” Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Importers have an obligation to truthfully declare the nature of their products and pay the duties that are owed,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Companies that attempt to evade customs duties with sham representations and workarounds will not be rewarded.” “Today’s settlement is a victory for American taxpayers and for our efforts to combat trade fraud and ensure compliance with United States trade laws. “When companies misclassify imports to avoid paying what they owe, they will be held accountable,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. The settlement also resolves allegations that, from April 2009 through August 2013, Ford avoided paying import duties by under-declaring to CBP the value of certain Transit Connect vehicles. Ford submitted entry papers to CBP declaring these vehicles as classifiable under tariff heading 8703 as “Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons.” After customs clearance, each of these Transit Connect vehicles was immediately stripped of its rear seats and returned to its original identity as a two-seat cargo van. By classifying the vans as vehicles for the transport of passengers, Ford instead paid a duty rate of just 2.5%.
Rather, the government alleged, Ford included these seats and features to avoid paying the 25% duty rate applicable to cargo vehicles. These temporary rear seats were never intended to be, and never were, used to carry passengers. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with sham rear seats and other temporary features to make the vans appear to be passenger vehicles.
Specifically, the government alleged that from April 2009 to March 2013, Ford imported Transit Connect cargo vans from Turkey into the United States and presented them to U.S. The settlement resolves allegations that Ford devised a scheme to avoid higher duties by misclassifying cargo vans. We offer next-day delivery, technical help and advice, and the convenience of buying a full range of products from one reliable source.Ford Motor Company has agreed to pay the United States $365 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Tariff Act of 1930 by misclassifying and understating the value of hundreds of thousands of its Transit Connect vehicles, the Justice Department announced today. This ensures all kits are simple to fit and have clear, concise instructions.Ĭustomer service is also important to us. The continuing success of our company and its products is due not just to quality and reliability but also to our design and development work. Wolf holds an ISO 9000-series approval, which is the worldwide standard of quality assurance. We always select manufacturing partners who offer OEM quality for aftermarket use. Our product range has expanded to offer the same level of quality and expertise with Power Window kits and Remote Control Security products. Quality and reliability were the major design concerns so we chose the original Swiss lock motor manufacturer MES to supply the key components.īy 1987 we were selling the kits around the world, even to Taiwan and Japan, and were the market leaders in what had become a highly competitive industry.
Headed by Eric Camp and Bob Blyth, Wolfelec Ltd. (formerly Wolf Auto Accessories Ltd.) was the first European company to offer a Power Door Locking Kit - way back in the early 1980s - that could be fitted to aftermarket vehicles.