DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force Surpasses $1B in Recoveries, Launches Permanent Enforcement Section
Importers, exporters, and multinational manufacturers must reassess customs compliance as DOJ institutionalizes trade-fraud enforcement with a new permanent section and expanded federal coordination.
The DOJ's Trade Fraud Task Force, launched in August 2025, has generated over $1 billion in civil and criminal recoveries, penalties, forfeitures, and publicly charged losses within its first year. Alongside this milestone, DOJ announced two new criminal cases and created the Global Trade & Commerce Enforcement Section (GTCES) within its National Fraud Enforcement Division, institutionalizing trade-fraud prosecution as a permanent priority rather than a temporary initiative. The enforcement net now spans antidumping/countervailing duty fraud, forced labor, revenue evasion, consumer safety, and national security concerns, coordinated across 35 U.S. Attorneys' Offices, CBP, HSI, FDA, EPA, CPSC, IRS, and USTR. A first-of-its-kind resource guide for the private sector was also released. Companies engaged in cross-border trade should immediately audit customs filings, supply-chain disclosures, and PGA compliance, and evaluate voluntary self-disclosure options given the expanded and durable enforcement posture.