ABF Joins Industry in Transshipment and Adulteration Fight
Places Spotlight on Problems Associated with Honey Imports from China
By Troy Fore
The ABF has joined with American Honey Producers Association and National Honey Packers and Dealers Association in filing statements for two Congressional hearings related to trade. In the nearly identical statements, the industry group drew attention to the problems associated with honey imports from China.
The May 20, 2010, hearing of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee was focused on Customs Trade Enforcement. The Senate Finance Committee hearing on June 23, 2010, was directed at the U.S.-China Trade Relationship.
In the statement the industry said, "The ever-evolving and complex schemes devised to enter honey into the United States without paying the U.S. antidumping duty on Chinese honey imports are mind-boggling." They applauded "the efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for their dedicated efforts to combat the illicit trade in Chinese honey," then detailed the scope of the problem and the impact on the U.S. honey industry and recommended some changes in for the committees to make as they consider a Customs Reauthorization Bill.
In addition to changes in the bonding and cash deposits required on some imports, the group asked for more attention to enforcement of antidumping and countervailing duty laws and the development of a database of individual characteristics of honey produced in foreign countries to facilitate the verification of country of origin markings of imported honey.
The honey group said all this would be profitable for the federal government by collecting $900 million in uncollected duties they estimate is owed to the U.S. Treasury on honey, mushrooms, crawfish and garlic imports.
posted July 2010
|
