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Course Details

Course Information
  • smart_display Format

    Live Online with Live Q&A

  • signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level

    Intermediate

  • work Practice Area

    Commercial Law

Date & Time
  • event Date

    Tuesday, December 2, 2025

  • schedule Time

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

  • timer Program Length

    90 minutes

Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.


  • Live Online


    On Demand

Early Bird Pricing!
MSRP
$297.00
$252.45
Save $44.55

Discount expires 10/9/25

This course is $0 with these passes:

CLE
ALL

This CLE webinar will discuss the investigation and prosecution of customs and trade fraud, especially evasion of tariffs and importation of prohibited goods, and the role of the U.S. Department of Justice's and U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force. The speakers will address DOJ enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol enforcement, and new developments and heightened scrutiny for importers by the Task Force.

Faculty

Matthew D. Ridings
Partner
Benesch

Mr. Ridings' practice encompasses government enforcement, internal investigations, and compliance matters, with a specific emphasis on international antitrust, product distribution, and anti-corruption issues. He has successfully tried numerous criminal and civil trials involving allegations of antitrust violations, corruption, and other competition-related matters.

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Jonathan R. Todd
Vice Chair, Transportation & Logistics Practice Group
Benesch

Mr. Todd's clients include manufacturers, retailers, technology companies, carriers of all modes, freight forwarders, and property brokers. He has spent his entire career focused on handling transportation, logistics, warehousing, fulfillment, procurement, sales, and import or export matters. Mr. Todd's portfolio of experience includes industry mergers and acquisitions, contract drafting and negotiating of all forms, government license and permit management, business operations counsel, new business lines, new market entry, geopolitical risk management, regulatory compliance counsel and enforcement defense, claims, and dispute resolution.

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Description

To implement and enforce the current administration's "America First Trade Policy" and Executive Order 14243, DOJ is prioritizing identifying and pursuing companies or individuals who engage in misclassification of goods, transshipments designed to evade tariffs, the circumvention of duties, drawback abuse, and smuggling of prohibited or counterfeit goods. Historically, several federal agencies shared responsibility for enforcing customs regulations, including the DOJ, CBP, and Homeland Security Investigations within DHS. The new Task Force is a single, centralized entity that combines and centralizes the power and capabilities of these disparate entities under one head with the goal of increasing power and efficiency. 

The government has numerous and traditional statutory enforcement tools at its disposal, such as penalties under the Tariff Act of 1930, and criminal prosecutions, penalties, and seizures under Title 18's trade fraud and conspiracy provisions. But in a new development, the tool of choice appears to be the False Claims Act (FCA), which can result in heavy civil fines and treble damages and authorized qui tam actions.

Whatever enforcement route is taken, the government has signaled that it intends to seek maximum prosecution without consideration of mitigating factors. Counsel advising companies engaged in international trade need to understand both the risks of government civil and criminal enforcement, as well as the risk of whistleblower lawsuits under the FCA. 

Listen as our experienced panel reviews the investigation and prosecution of customs and trade fraud through DOJ enforcement, CBP enforcement, and then discusses new developments under the new cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force.

Outline

I. Enforcement by DOJ

II. Enforcement by CBP

III. New developments

Benefits

The panel will review these and other important issues: 

  • What entities can be liable for tariff evasion?
  • How are the FCA whistleblower provisions being leveraged?
  • Will the Task Force be affected if tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are found to be invalid?