DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force Surpasses $1 Billion in Recoveries in Less Than a Year

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Trade Fraud Task Force has surpassed $1 billion in criminal and civil recoveries, penalties, forfeitures and publicly charged losses less than a year after its launch. The announcement also marks the formal establishment of a permanent Global Trade & Commerce Enforcement Section within the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division to institutionalize customs and trade fraud investigations as a long-term priority.

The milestone was achieved through a combination of criminal recoveries, civil settlements and forfeitures since the initiative began, with a $549.5 million False Claims Act settlement involving an importer representing the largest trade-related settlement ever reached under the statute. The Trade Fraud Task Force, announced jointly with the Department of Homeland Security, brings together prosecutors, investigators and customs authorities to pursue companies and individuals accused of defrauding the United States through false import declarations and tariff evasion.