Richard Mojica was quoted about the possibility that Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) newly announced interim rules aimed at enforcing trade laws will lead to increased enforcement. Mojica, a former CBP attorney, said one may not necessarily follow the other and that Customs already has the authority to investigate duty evasion. That said, the agency recently formed a new division to investigate these charges, which may indicate a renewed focus. “If you put those together, there is reason to believe there may be more investigations and enforcement, but that remains to be seen,” Mojica said, adding that there has been some criticism of the new rules and whether they provide sufficient confidentiality in investigations. He said the new framework is "without a doubt" more transparent than the prior format since it allows private parties to participate. In the past, allegations went into a "black box" which discouraged companies from pursuing trade allegations.

This article was also published in BNA's International Trade Reporter and BNA's International Trade Daily.