There is an entire industry built around duty evasion.  “Duty evasion” is any means used by manufacturers, exporters, and importers of goods subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders to illegally or fraudulently evade the duties that have been imposed by the US government.

One of our CPA members makes a product that faces competitors supported by massive Chinese government subsidies (over and above currency cheating and VAT subsidies).  After successfully bringing a trade case against the Chinese companies, the Department of Commerce issued countervailing duty orders to neutralize the foreign government subsidies.  But then the Chinese companies started trans-shipping through Malaysia to avoid the duties. (You can learn more at the CPA Issue Page on Enforcement).

Last week, the ENFORCE Act was introduced last week by Rep. Billy Long.  The bill number is HR 1440.  CPA supports the ENFORCE Act.  There is a competing bill called the PROTECT Act which we don’t support because it does not require Customs and Border Patrol agency to do enough under timelines.

The ENFORCE Act, as of this posting, has 36 co-sponsors (14R, 22D).

Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 4/9/2013
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-5] - 4/9/2013
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-13] - 4/9/2013
Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5] - 4/9/2013
Rep Cramer, Kevin [ND] - 4/9/2013
Rep Ellmers, Renee L. [NC-2] - 4/9/2013
Rep Enyart, William L. [IL-12] - 4/9/2013
Rep Foster, Bill [IL-11] - 4/9/2013
Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6] - 4/9/2013
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] - 4/9/2013
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-3] - 4/9/2013
Rep Hartzler, Vicky [MO-4] - 4/9/2013
Rep Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [GA-4] - 4/9/2013
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 4/9/2013
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 4/9/2013
Rep Kinzinger, Adam [IL-16] - 4/9/2013
Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] - 4/9/2013
Rep Lowenthal, Alan S. [CA-47] - 4/9/2013
Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-3] - 4/9/2013
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-2] - 4/9/2013
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 4/9/2013
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-32] - 4/9/2013
Rep Nunnelee, Alan [MS-1] - 4/9/2013
Rep Owens, William L. [NY-21] - 4/9/2013
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-9] - 4/9/2013
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-13] - 4/9/2013
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-40] - 4/9/2013
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-13] - 4/9/2013
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-38] - 4/9/2013
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 4/9/2013
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] - 4/9/2013
Rep Stivers, Steve [OH-15] - 4/9/2013
Rep Turner, Michael R. [OH-10] - 4/9/2013
Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1] - 4/9/2013
Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. [GA-3] - 4/9/2013