Alexis, a womenswear brand based in the United States, was sentenced to pay slightly less than $7.7 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging that it had underpaid customs duty on imported goods. The decision was made by Markenzy Lapointe, US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Bruce Murley, acting director of field operations for US Customs and Border Protection’s San Francisco/Portland office.
According to a news release by the US Attorney’s Office, a whistleblower presented the case to a federal court in Miami, and Alexis originally denied the charges. However, as part of the settlement, the corporation “admitted and acknowledged errors and omissions with respect to imported women’s apparel, and occasionally accessories, during the 2015 through 2022 period.”.
In light of the verdict, Alexis’ senior management stated that they would collaborate with an experienced trade counsel to “implement a robust set of internal and external procedures and corrective actions to prevent any future violations” while assuring accurate reporting.
Lapointe issued the following statement: “As this settlement demonstrates, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, along with our CBP partners, will, while continuing to hold accountable entities that engage in improper trade practices and deny our government vital revenues, work to resolve such matters in the interests of justice.”
