Overview

• Announced on August 29, the task force unites DOJ’s Civil and Criminal Divisions with DHS components including CBP and HSI to coordinate trade enforcement.
• Priorities include misclassification of goods, transshipment to dodge duties, circumvention of tariffs, drawback abuse, and the smuggling of prohibited or counterfeit products.
• Officials said enforcement will pair False Claims Act actions with Title 18 trade-fraud charges, penalties, seizures, and duty recovery under the Tariff Act.
• DOJ is urging whistleblowers and domestic industries to submit referrals through the Corporate Whistleblower Program or bring qui tam suits, highlighting potential relator awards.
• Recent FCA settlements totaling millions of dollars, including a $12.4 million quartz products case and other actions involving wood flooring, plastic resin, and extruded aluminum, illustrate the ramped-up approach.