FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, December 17, 2012
Japanese-Based Toyo Ink and Affiliates in New Jersey and Illinois Settle False Claims Allegation for $45 Million
United States Alleges Companies Knowingly Evaded Import Duties
Japan-based Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd. and various affiliated entities (collectively, Toyo Ink) have agreed to pay $45 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to pay antidumping and countervailing duties, the Justice Department announced today.
Toyo Ink, which has operations worldwide, is a leading provider of printing inks. The Toyo Ink parties to the agreement are the Japanese companies Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd. (successor in interest to Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co. Ltd.), Toyocolor Co. Ltd., Toyo Ink Co. Ltd. and Toyochem Co. Ltd., and their United States affiliates Toyo Ink Mfg. America LLC (located in New Jersey), Toyo Ink International Corp. (located in New Jersey), and Toyo Ink America LLC (located in Illinois).
The Department of Commerce assesses antidumping and countervailing duties to protect United States businesses by offsetting unfair foreign pricing and government subsidies. The duties are collected by U.S. Customs, which is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. Import duties may vary depending on a product’s country of origin, which is identified by determining the last country in which the product underwent a substantial transformation. The government alleged that Toyo Ink knowingly misrepresented, or caused to be misrepresented, the country of origin on documents presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to avoid paying duties, particularly antidumping and countervailing duties, on imports of the colorant carbazole violet pigment number 23 (CVP-23) between April 2002 and March 2010.
Specifically, the government alleged that Toyo Ink misrepresented Japan and Mexico as the countries of origin for its CVP-23 imports, rather than the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India which were the company’s sources for raw CVP-23. Imports of CVP-23 from the PRC and India have been subject to these duties since 2004; there are no such duties on imports from Japan or Mexico. Although Toyo Ink’s CVP-23 from the PRC and India underwent a finishing process in Japan and Mexico before it was imported into the United States, the government alleged that this process was insufficient to constitute a substantial transformation to render these countries as the countries of origin.
"Importers seeking access to United States markets must comply with the law, including the payment of customs duties meant to protect domestic companies from unfair competition abroad," said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "This settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will zealously guard the public fisc – taking action not only against those who fraudulently obtain government funds, but also against those who inappropriately avoid paying money owed to the United States."
Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, stated that, "Fair and lawful trade requires importers to truthfully identify their products and pay the appropriate duties. Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute importers who make false representations and claims designed to avoid the payment of lawful import duties."
The allegations resolved by today’s settlement were initially alleged in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by John Dickson, president of a domestic producer of CVP-23. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Mr. Dickson will receive more than $7,875,000 as his share of the government’s recovery.
The investigation was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
The False Claims Act suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, and is captioned United States ex rel. Dickson v. Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd., et al., No. 09-CV-438 (W.D.N.C.).
