The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that Jagro Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, Inc. (Jagro), of Irvington, New Jersey, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $5,700 to settle allegations that the company violated the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) alleged
that, in January 1998, in connection with a shipment of goods to Bahrain,
Jagro furnished information about another company’s business relationships
with Israel when it furnished a commercial invoice that contained the statement:
“We confirmed that the goods are not of Israeli origin nor do they contain
any Israeli material.” BIS also alleged that Jagro failed to report
its receipt of the request for such an attestation.
The antiboycott provisions of the EAR prohibit U.S. persons from providing
information about their, or any other person’s, business relationships
with Israel. Additionally, the EAR requires that persons report their receipt
of certain boycott requests. BIS investigates alleged violations of the antiboycott
provisions, provides support in administrative or criminal litigation of cases
involving the antiboycott provisions, and prepares cases for settlement.
While neither admitting nor denying the allegations, Jagro agreed to pay the civil penalty for the two alleged violations.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Lisa A. Prager commended Senior Compliance Officer Shirley Rockenbaugh, who investigated this case.