Wood flooring importer Evolutions Flooring Inc. (San Francisco) and its owners have agreed to pay $8.1 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly evading duties on engineered wood flooring from China, according to a U.S. Justice Department press release.
“Import duties provide an important source of government revenue and level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers against their global competitors,” Justice Department’s Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth said in a statement. “The department will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets, including by evading the duties owed on goods imported into this country from China.”
The Justice Department alleges Evolutions Flooring evaded tariffs, antidumping and countervailing duties between Sept. 1, 2019, and July 31, 2022. The department also alleges Evolutions Flooring falsified information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the identity of the manufacturers and country of origin of the imported engineered wood flooring.
