U.S. Customs accuses 23 importers in shipping scheme to evade duties

Sheila Long O’Mara //Executive Editor, Furniture Today//August 29, 2025

WASHINGTON – More than 20 mattress importers were part of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigation into illegal transshipment of goods to evade trade duties.

In an investigation that spans back to the spring of 2024, companies brought products into the U.S. through “evasion” and a “network of Chinese shell companies” funneling products manufactured in China through South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam. CBP estimated that the scheme resulted in more than $250 million in revenue owed.

“Never before has CBP identified this many importers evading AD/CVD in a single consolidated EAPA investigation,” said Susan S. Thomas, acting executive assistant commissioner for CBP’s office of trade. “The revenue identified for collection exceeds $250 million, but this figure may increase as we uncover additional importers in the scheme.”

The evasion scheme, the government said, hinges on the lower duty rate in countries other than China. As an example, CBP pointed out that under the China antidumping order, duty rates were up to 1,731.75%, while the Indonesia Order carried a duty rate of 2.2%.

The CBP carried out port inspections, analyzed trade data and conducted “on-the-ground” verifications in Indonesia and Taiwan. As part of its investigation, CBP said it visited a number of the companies’ listed factories only to learn that the locations were not operational. In one instance, a factory was said to have been destroyed in a fire in 2023 and never rebuilt.

In its determination, CBP paints a picture of companies that have U.S. addresses that are in strip centers and other suspect locations. A quick Google search indicates one company’s address as the location of a restaurant, Bean Bandit, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Another has the address of a PostNet location in Denver. Some companies in the filing share an address, and a number of the companies’ U.S. addresses are in residential areas with two as neighbors.

Ten companies are listed with U.S. locations in Colorado, six in New Jersey, two in New York with a shared address, four in California and one in Houston.

Companies listed as part of the investigation include the following companies, some of which, the government says, are tied to a larger entity, Foshan Aiyi, previously investigated for transshipping. The companies cited are:

Alexand Inc., Alloech Inc., Anlowo Inc., Bentensh Inc., Calimoon Inc., Day Day Up Inc., Deluxe Home of USA Inc., Gemmeo Inc., Haiide Inc., Hondex Inc., Incoroy Inc., Inland Empire Decor Home Furnishing Inc., Lincody Inc., Lirachy Inc., Newland Technology Inc., Outlier Inc., Splendid Life Distribute Inc., Startown Inc., Sunshine International Inc., Vovyace Inc., Weekaly Inc., Wuleitex Inc. and Zozonid Inc.

Products from some of the companies are sold via Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart and other furniture retailers, according to an online search.

Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission also published its continuation of the order from the 2018 antidumping case that resulted in duties on mattresses imported into the U.S. from China. The ITC said revoking the order would likely lead to continued or recurrent dumping and injury to the U.S. mattress market.

https://www.furnituretoday.com/bedding-manufacturers/u-s-customs-accuses-23-importers-in-shipping-scheme-to-evade-duties