Textile duty scam discovered in Laredo
Officers at the Laredo, Texas, border crossing confiscated a shipment of textiles from China being re-exported to Mexico because it was significantly undervalued in an effort to avoid duties, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday.
The seizure took place April 1 at the World Trade Bridge following an export verification check. CBP officers discovered the claimed value of the merchandise in the export documentation was significantly lower ($29,430) than the value cited when it originally arrived as an in-bond shipment from China ($108,000).
The in-bond system allows companies to postpone formal customs procedures and duty payment at the original port of entry by securing a bond intended to guarantee delivery and payment at an inland destination.
One way criminals take advantage of the system is to truck textile imports to Texas, move them into Mexico under bond and immediately re-import them for sale to retailers to avoid heavier duties on Chinese textile products.
Textile duty scam discovered in Laredo
