Cashmere retailer pays up in customs evasion settlement

Pure Collection, a Harrogate, England-based cashmere apparel retailer, reportedly sent a large portion of the illicitly shipped merchandise to customers in Maine.    The U.S. government entered into settlement agreements totaling $908,100 to resolve allegations that United Kingdom-based Pure Collection Ltd., and its CEO, Samantha Harrison, illegally evaded customs duties that would’ve been paid by customers by breaking up single shipments worth more than the U.S. import de minimis amount into shipments of lesser value, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced.
   UK citizen Andrew Patrick filed suit under the False Claim Act’s whistleblower provisions allowing private individuals with knowledge of fraud against the U.S. to file lawsuits on the government’s behalf, DOJ said.
   The U.S. government will pay Patrick a share of the settlement proceeds.
   Pure Collection, a Harrogate, England-based cashmere apparel retailer, sent much of the allegedly illicitly shipped merchandise to customers in Maine, DOJ said. The company and Harrison cooperated throughout the investigation, DOJ said.
   The U.S. raised its de minimis level from $200 to $800 in line with provisions of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act enacted in 2016.