DeHeng Lawyers Successfully Represented a Client in the Largest Customs Case Involving Imported Substandard Food in Beijing

2023-07-13

Recently, DeHeng lawyers received the Administrative Penalty Decision for a case in which they represented a company in Beijing which was accused by a customs office in Beijing of importing food that does not meet China’s national food safety standards. The Decision revoked fines imposed on the company, recovering the loss of over ten million yuan for it.

In June 2020, two shipments of goods imported by the company were denied entry on the ground of discrepancy between goods and documents and inconformity to the food safety standards. Subsequently, a customs office in Beijing issued an administrative penalty notice to the company, stating that it intends to confiscate the goods involved and impose a fine ten times the value of the goods involved on the company for it provided false materials and imported food that did not conform with China’s national food safety standards.

Mandated by the company, partner Zhou Tiejun of DeHeng’s Nanjing Office and his team member Chen Zeyu, undertook the case, and combed through and analyzed in detail the facts of the case and the focus of the dispute with the handling staff of the Beijing Office. Thanks to their hard work, the customs exempted the company from the proposed fine, recovering the loss of over ten million yuan for the client.