U.S. Stops Chinese Honey Smuggling

CHICAGOIn what could prove to be the largest case of food smuggling in U.S. history, the federal government has announced that it has brought formal criminal charges against executives from six German and Chinese companies that have been accused of smuggling Chinese honey tainted with antibiotics in order to avoid paying import duties, reports AFP. These charges stem from a multiple-year crackdown on the smuggling of products into the United States that are substandard, tainted or counterfeit.

The German and Chinese companies allegedly sought to import $40 million worth of Chinese honey in an attempt to avoid antidumping duties that would total over $78 million. The honey was tainted with antibiotics not approved by U.S. regulators, and was mislabeled.

In the AFP news story, Patrick Fitzgerald, United States Attorney, Northern District of Illinois, states that there is no reason to believe that any of the honey involved in this case has led to any injury or illness. He also notes that most of the imported honey was commercial-grade and would have been diluted by manufacturers before reaching consumers.

AFP notes that the German company Alfred L. Wolff is reportedly at the heart of this conspiracy. The company allegedly purchased inexpensive honey from a number of Chinese suppliers and subsequently shipped it to other countries where it was subjected to filtration to remove pollen and other trace elements that could indicate that the honey originated from China, notes the 44-count indictment. In order to further disguise the honeys origin, some it was also mixed with honey originating in India. Alfred L. Wolff also allegedly commissioned falsified lab reports to disguise traces of antibiotics in some of the shipments and then sold orders to customers that would likely not test the shipments upon arrival.

In the AFP news item, Fitzgerald notes: The charges allege that these defendants aggressively sought and obtained an illegal competitive advantage in the U.S. honey market by avoiding payment of more than $78 million in antidumping duties and, while doing so, deliberately violated U.S. laws designed to protect the integrity of our food supply.

The charges filed carry potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.