Where Industry and Security Intersect
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For Immediate Release - September 3, 2003
Contact: BIS Public Affairs - 202-482-2721
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (Expeditors), a Seattle, Washington based freight forwarder, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $5,000 to resolve charges that it facilitated an export to a company in Taiwan that was, at the time, denied U.S. export privileges.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged that, in December of 1996, Expeditors violated the terms of a Department of Commerce order denying the export privileges of Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (Realtek), in Taiwan, when it forwarded commercial air-conditioning units to Realtek. Firms that are subject to such denial orders may not participate in any transaction that is subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). It is a violation of the EAR for anyone to participate in an export transaction in which a denied person also participates.
The Department settled related charges against Realtek in December of 2002. Realtek is no longer subject to a denial order.
“Those involved in international trade, especially freight forwarders, must ensure that they are not dealing with denied persons. To assist industry in fulfilling this responsibility, the Commerce Department maintains a list of persons currently subject to denial orders on its Web site,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Lisa Prager.
Acting Assistant Secretary Prager commended the Boston Field Office and Special Agent Edward Carrigan who investigated the case.