The Department of Justice announced the indictment of eleven individuals and six corporations for allegedly participating in an international conspiracy to illegally import honey from China that was mislabeled as coming from other countries to avoid antidumping duties and included honey that was adulterated with antibiotics not approved for use in honey production. The alleged fraud, over a seven-year period, avoided payment of nearly $80 million in US antidumping duties.
The announcement states that the “crime of importing mislabeled and adulterated goods restricts U.S. competitiveness in domestic and world markets and creates an uneven playing field for American businesses and honey importers and packers who play by the rules” and that the federal government will “aggressively investigate those who violate the laws and regulations that are put in place to protect U.S. businesses and the American public.”
