[alleyyooper]

November 30th 2011.

Jacksonville , Florida , was the base for a suspected honey smuggling operation from China aiming at dodging more than $1 million in duty to the U.S. government.
U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill announced the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging three individuals with smuggling honey from China into the U.S.
Chin Shih Chou, a/k/a Jeff (48, Taiwan), Qiao Chu, a/k/a Dott (25, China), and Wei Tang Lo a/k/a Danny, a/k/a Larry Law, a/k/a David Lo (48, Hacienda Heights, Calif.) are charged with falsely labeling the honey as “rice fructose” to avoid more than $1 million in duties owed to the U.S. each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.


An affidavit filed in the case states an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Chin Shih Chou, Qiao Chu, and Wei Tang Lo allegedly labeled shipping containers filled with Chinese honey as rice fructose to avoid a $2.63 a kilogram ($1.20 a lb) anti-dumping duty imposed by the U.S.


After the containers of honey passed through U.S. Customs, they were forwarded to a warehouse, washed of all markings and relabeled as amber honey. The honey was then sold to domestic purchasers.

ICE-HSI agents, in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are in the process of seizing or detaining 123 containers of Chinese honey falsely manifested as rice fructose. Each shipping container holds 64 barrels of honey. The containers are located at 11 ports of entry throughout the U.S. Bee Culture is investigating where the funny honey was headed, and how much it was purchased for.
The loss of duty owed to the U.S. government on these containers is about $1.15 million.


Al

 

[alleyyooper]

Technicality Halts Case Against Illegal Chinese Honey Importers…for Now

A federal court blocks U.S. government plan s to sue a German food importer's American subsidiary for allegedly avoiding $80 million in customs duties on illegally imported Chinese honey.
A federal grand jury last year indicted Alfred L. Wolff Inc. and its subsidiaries in the U.S. , Germany , China and Hong Kong, charging they dodged the customs duties on honey imported from China between 2002 and 2009.

was alleged Wolff labeled the honey as originating in other countries to avoid paying anti-dumping duties.
Wolff appointed a limited-authority corporate representative to appear in court to enter a not guilty plea and when it did so, the government served the representative with summonses for each of the foreign defendants.
Wolff moved to quash the summons, saying the method of service did not comply with federal rules of criminal procedure.

Media reports say the government countered that special circumstances necessitated an exception to this rule, but U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve rejected this and granted the motion to quash.
Her judgment says the federal rules require the government to serve each defendant by delivering a copy of the summons to an officer, a managing or general agent, or another agent appointed or legally authorized to receive service of process.
The judge says service on a subsidiary does not constitute service on a corporate parent where separate corporate identities are maintained, even if the subsidiary is wholly owned by the parent.
The court says the government must find another way to serve the foreign defendants in accordance with the U.S. mutual legal assistance treaties with the countries in question.


Al

 

[alleyyooper]

From the bendbulletin.com

More than 10,000 gallons of counterfeit honey was seized from a warehouse in Salem, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
The counterfeit honey, which was discovered to be compound malt sweetener, was imported from Hong Kong and falsely labeled as honey from Thailand.
A firm called Eastern Commodity Co. imported the honey to a warehouse in Wisconsin and eventually shipped it to a warehouse in Salem.
The seizure was part of an ongoing joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and the Department of Homeland Security.


As you can see importing honey and fake honey in to the USA is a big bussiness. What does it tell us.

It tells you that if you don'tbuy your honey from a local beekeeper then you may notbe getting honey or tainted honey.
It also appears that the commercial food producers care more about the dollar than the customers they serve.

BUY LOCAL WHEN EVERY YOU CAN.

Al

 

[single tree farm]

Thanks for sharing, Al - very useful information! In my produce department I sell local honey from a beekeeper in the area - and it sells extremely well! It is troubling to discover some alleged "beekeepers" who mix their honey with that which is imported from what largely appears to be Argentina... somewhat random I know. Finding a good quality beekeeper/apiary is worth its weight in gold though - as I'm sure you can appreciate! I've got a new one coming in this summer from a gentleman that I met through Kentucky's "Kentucky Proud" agricultural program who is somewhat small, but very pure - he markets a "wildflower honey" that I'm eager to get ahold of! Thanks again for the information.

 

[bettyp]

Thanks Al for sharing that good to know information.



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[Jim in NC]

It is hard to know how good any honey is unless one knows where the bees have been. Honey is one thing that is best for the consumer if it is produced locally.

 

[alleyyooper]

Wild flower honey is pretty much what all of it is despite the labels people put on them.
Bees forage for about 2 miles radis. All in that 2 mile circle is not clover. A honey takes on the flavor and color of what the bees are foraging on the most.

Our labels say Pure Michigan honey since the bees stay in Michigan.

Al