# Caught again. How much gets by?



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Jacksonville , Florida , was the base for a suspected honey smuggling operation from China aiming at dodging more than $1 million in duty to the U.S. government.


U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill announced the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging three individuals with smuggling honey from China into the U.S.


Chin Shih Chou, a/k/a Jeff (48, Taiwan), Qiao Chu, a/k/a Dott (25, China), and Wei Tang Lo a/k/a Danny, a/k/a Larry Law, a/k/a David Lo (48, Hacienda Heights, Calif.) are charged with falsely labeling the honey as ârice fructoseâ to avoid more than $1 million in duties owed to the U.S.


They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.


An affidavit filed in the case states an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementâs (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Chin Shih Chou, Qiao Chu, and Wei Tang Lo allegedly labeled shipping containers filled with Chinese honey as rice fructose to avoid a $2.63 a kilogram ($1.20 a lb) anti-dumping duty imposed by the U.S.


After the containers of honey passed through U.S. Customs, they were forwarded to a warehouse, washed of all markings and relabeled as amber honey. The honey was then sold to domestic purchasers.


ICE-HSI agents, in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are in the process of seizing or detaining 123 containers of Chinese honey falsely manifested as rice fructose. Each shipping container holds 64 barrels of honey. The containers are located at 11 ports of entry throughout the U.S. Bee Culture is investigating where the funny honey was headed, and how much it was purchased for. 


The loss of duty owed to the U.S. government on these containers is about $1.15 million.


 Al


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

You *HAVE* to believe, that from the few that we actually read about getting caught.....
that there is *STILL* a concentrated and on-going effort to circumvent the duty. How much 
indeed.....it has to be in the millions. If just this one case involved $1.15 million....then perhaps even billions. 

No wonder U.S. beekeepers don't stand a chance on the domestic market, when they have to compete against cheaters from abroad.....


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## stormwalker (Oct 27, 2004)

My worry is the labeling it's sold under.
I buy local, so I think I'm O.K.
That said, I think I'm going to scout out some new sources.
I can't live without honey!


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