U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the discovery of more than $400 million in unpaid trade duties through investigations conducted under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) between January 20 and August 8, 2025. The agency identified 89 cases during this period where there was reasonable suspicion of duty evasion.
The EAPA program allows CBP to investigate and address schemes such as illegal transshipment, which are used by some companies to avoid paying antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD). These duties are intended to prevent foreign producers from selling goods in the United States below fair value or with unfair subsidies.
“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 U.S. companies,” said Rodney Scott, CBP Commissioner. “Our mission, under the leadership of President Trump, is to support economic fairness, protect domestic industry, and uphold the integrity of U.S. supply chains.”
Among the cases investigated, CBP reported its largest-ever EAPA case involving 23 U.S. importers and several Chinese shell companies that routed goods through Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam to conceal their origin. This investigation uncovered more than $250 million in revenue owed as of May 29, 2025. The total is expected to rise as further importers are identified.
“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. “The revenue identified for collection exceeds $250 million, but this figure may increase as we uncover additional importers in the scheme.”
CBP enforcement teams used port inspections, trade data analysis, and on-the-ground verifications in Indonesia and Taiwan during their investigations. All importers examined were found in violation.
The agency stated it will continue efforts to identify violators and dismantle networks designed to evade trade laws. More information about these investigations can be found on the EAPA website (https://www.cbp.gov/trade/trade-enforcement/tftea/eapa). The public is encouraged to report suspected violations at https://eallegations.cbp.gov/s/.
Further details on CBP’s trade enforcement work are available at https://www.cbp.gov/trade.
