U.S. CUSTOMS PUBLISHES LIST OF IMPORTER PENALTIES

U.S. CUSTOMS PUBLISHES LIST OF IMPORTER PENALTIES    U.S. Customs has started a policy of publishing names of importers that violate the country’s import rules and the amount of penalties assessed and collected from these firms.
   The list, which may be viewed on Customs’ Web-site at https://www.customs.ustreas.gov/news/fed-reg/notices/report1.pdf, provides the violator’s name, initial penalty amounts and the amount collected. Customs will publish the list semi-annually, January-June and July-December. The next one is scheduled for release in early 2001, the agency said.
   The policy took the industry by surprise. The American Association of Exporters and Importers said they’re concerned that the list may have a “chilling effect on companies’ comfort level in making voluntary disclosures when innocent infractions are discovered from internal audits (of import records).”
   Customs said “the public interest will be better served by affirmatively disclosing most of the information identified in section 103.32 of the Customs Regulations for closed section 1592 cases resulting in collections.”
   The largest amount collected was $2.5 million in a case involving DaimlerChrysler. In total Customs assessed over $22 million in fines in the first six months of 2000. After mitigation, the agency collected a total of $13.4 million during that period.