CIT Approves Penalty Against Importer After Government Corrects Amount

The Court of International Trade on Jan. 10 approved penalties totaling $324,687 against an importer for misclassifying entries of wallets and handbags and underpaying customs duties. The court had in October found defendant Lafidale to be liable for penalties after the company failed to defend itself, but didn’t allow the government to collect because of discrepancies in how the penalty amount was calculated (see 13103027). CIT found a correction submitted to the court in December to be a sufficient basis for the penalty amount, and entered judgment in favor of the government.