US Customs Unearth Over 400 Million Dollars of Unpaid Duties So Far This Year

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced two major trade enforcement wins under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), which authorizes CBP to investigate and stop duty evasion schemes like illegal transshipment.

From January 20 to August 8, 2025, CBP uncovered more than US$400 million in unpaid trade duties through EAPA investigations - a key tool to stop illegal transshipment and other schemes designed to cheat the system.

In that same period, CBP identified 89 cases with reasonable suspicion of duty evasion.

Rodney Scott, CBP Commissioner said: "CBP’s EAPA program is a critical component of our trade enforcement efforts. We’re working tirelessly to prevent evasion and ensure a level playing field for US companies.

"Our mission, under the leadership of President Trump, is to support economic fairness, protect domestic industry, and uphold the integrity of US supply chains.”

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EAPA exposes companies that dodge antidumping and countervailing duties. Companies often try and circumnavigate duties by using illegal transshipment, routing goods through third countries to disguise origin and sidestep duties.

CBP’s also investigated the largest EAPA case in its history - a sweeping investigation into 23 US importers and a network of Chinese shell companies funneling goods through Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Uncovered on May 29, 2025, the scheme identified more than US$250 million in revenue owed, a figure expected to rise as the probe expands.

“Never before has CBP identified this many importers evading AD/CVD in a single consolidated EAPA investigation,” said Susan S. Thomas, acting Executive Assistant Commissioner for CBP’s Office of Trade.

CBP’s enforcement teams carried out port inspections, analyzed trade data, and conducted on-the-ground verifications in Indonesia and Taiwan. Every importer investigated was found in violation, more companies were exposed, and new evasion tactics uncovered.

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