CBP seizes $142K in plywood allegedly imported using stolen identity at BWI Airport
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a shipment of falcata plywood sheets worth $142,000 at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport on Aug. 27.
CBP said the shipment contained more than 8,500 falcata plywood sheets that were imported using a stolen identity, undervalued and clandestinely shipped from China.
CBP officers initially inspected the shipment on July 9. The importer declared that the shipment originated in Indonesia and was valued at nearly $19,000. It was addressed to a location near Denver. Officers detained the shipment for further investigation.
Officials determined that the importer of record had used a fraudulent identity on the import documents and tampered with the shipping invoice. The victim of the identity fraud confirmed that they had not ordered the plywood and had no connection to the importing company.
Officers also determined that the plywood originated in China and was subject to antidumping and countervailing duties.
CBP said it is illegal to import China-origin goods through third countries to evade antidumping and countervailing duty laws.
CBP officers seized the plywood as smuggled or clandestinely introduced merchandise.
"Customs and Border Protection officers continue to crack down on illegal trade practices, such as commodities imported using stolen identities to mask the true importer, and transshipping misclassified and undervalued imports through third nations in a duty evasion scheme," said Adam Rottman, CBP's Area Port Director in Baltimore. "CBP remains committed to protecting our nation's economic security, and American businesses and workers by combatting criminal enterprises that brazenly violate our nation's trade laws."
CBP said antidumping and countervailing duty laws help level the playing field for U.S. companies by preventing foreign producers from flooding U.S. markets with goods sold below fair value or supported by unfair government subsidies.
