Overview
- Perfectus Aluminum, which reached the deal Tuesday, agreed to a $549.5 million civil settlement that resolves whistleblower claims it dodged U.S. import duties on Chinese aluminum.
- Prosecutors said the company brought in more than 2.2 million aluminum extrusions from 2011 to 2014 by spot‑welding them into sham “pallets,” filed false entry forms, and avoided antidumping and countervailing duties tied to over $880 million in imports.
- The settlement total reflects about $349.59 million from selling warehouses and $200 million from selling seized aluminum pallets, with 17.5% of the net civil payment going to the whistleblowers.
- The proceeds will be credited against a prior criminal judgment after a 2021 jury conviction that imposed $1.836 billion in restitution and allowed forfeiture of 279,808 aluminum structures.
- DOJ coordinated the case with U.S. Customs and Border Protection through its new Trade Fraud Task Force, and lawyers say importers should treat customs entries as legal certifications and strengthen controls or risk parallel civil and criminal actions.