Many entrepreneurs and lawyers report regular offers to arrange "turnkey" delivery of goods from China with payment of all tariff fees starting from $0.7 per kilogram. However, according to Ryan Peterson, CEO of the logistics platform Flexport, such practices are impossible, as tariffs are based on the value of the goods, not their weight. Some offers promise savings on duties of up to 40-50%.
One popular scheme is the use of the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) system, where the seller assumes all costs associated with delivery and customs clearance. In this case, fraudsters often undervalue the goods or use incorrect codes to obtain preferential rates, while using shell companies as importers. When violations are detected, these companies turn out to be fictitious.
Market participants emphasize that such practices create unfair competition. Michael Kersey, president of American Lawn Mower Company, noted that his company pays up to 45% in duties on Chinese goods, while competitors likely evade these costs and offer their products at 10-20% lower prices. Similar issues were described by Ram Radhakrishnan, head of the freight forwarder Silq, who is losing clients due to suspiciously low prices.
According to Bloomberg, U.S. authorities are aware of this problem, but their ability to address it is limited. Carrie Owens, a former employee of the Department of Homeland Security, noted that the department's resources have largely been redirected to border security, making it difficult to identify shell companies. Moreover, pursuing fraudsters operating outside the U.S. is extremely challenging.
In August 2025, an interagency task force was established in the U.S. aimed at combating trade fraud, and a whistleblower program was launched. However, as the customs service notes, investigations into such cases can take a long time.
It was previously reported that the tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration significantly increased costs for American companies. Studies have shown that the expenses of the average business grew several times last year.
