German fastener importer sentenced for alleged anti-dumping fraud

According to the German customs authorities, a fastener importer in the Baden-Württemberg district of Germany was sentenced to 21 months suspended by the Stuttgart court on suspicion of commercial smuggling and falsification of documents.

The case was directed at stainless steel nuts that were imported between 2000 and 2003 and involved the evasion of anti-dumping duties amounting to 675,000 euros.

According to the regulations at the time, these nuts imported from Vietnam and originating in mainland China and Taiwan should be subject to anti-dumping duties of 74.7% and 23.1%, respectively. The court’s decision stated that there was sufficient evidence that the long-term experience of the company’s director in the fastener industry was sufficient to allow him to identify the origin of the product.

The court ruled that the importer suspended his sentence for 21 months and fined him. The defendant has already appealed the verdict.

The German customs refused to disclose the name of the importer and stated that it took more than three years to gather evidence of prosecution.