U.S. Customs stops re-export scam

U.S. Customs stops re-export scam    Some people looking for bargain-basement entertainment equipment may not get to see their favorite movies after U.S. Customs officers last month confiscated a shipment of DVD players valued at $881,000.
   Officers at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas, suspected foul play with a truck shipment heading to Mexico and ordered the truck to the side for an inspection, according to Customs and Border Protection. During the exam, they discovered 5,800 devices with the DVD and Dolby Digital brand names. Import specialists determined the trademarks on the players were counterfeit.
   The importer was unable to produce letters of authorization for the use of the two trademarks, the agency said.
   Criminals frequently try to circumvent duty requirements by importing goods at West Coast ports and exploiting a duty-deferral program that lets importers bypass the formal customs entry process by securing a bond guaranteeing payment after cargo reaches a designated inland destination. By running the merchandise around the flagpole in places like Laredo, criminals using false documentation can pay the lower duty that applies to goods from Mexico and then resell them in the United States. ' Eric Kulisch