Brussels - North Korea has just tested a nuclear device, in the Middle East the rockets are flying and in America things are going upside down. But, this is all is peanuts compared to the problem Europe has.
It sounds like a criminal roman, even Agatha Christi couldn't think of something better. It is about Chinese garlic smugglers...see, I told you.
According to the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, at least 60 million Euros is the estimated financial damage caused to the European tax payer. And it is caused by three cases of Chinese garlic smuggling that are now being investigated.
The cases involving Chinese garlic alone rank third in the cases being investigated, 17 cases, ranked just behind sugar, 21 cases and meat, 20 cases.
The experience of OLAF in the fight against garlic smuggling was one of the topics that were discussed in Vienna at an international customs seminar with participants from 32 European countries.
Imports of fresh garlic to the European Union is subject to payment of 9.6% ad valorem duty and of 1200 Euros per ton, net weight.
The production capacity for garlic in China is very high and the production costs are low; the illegal import of fresh garlic under evasion of the levy is an attractive business for smugglers.
One single container carries an average of 20 tons of garlic and if this is successfully smuggled, and it is, it results in 24,000 Euros of illegal benefits, as the import duties are evaded.
And... here comes the detective story. Garlic Smugglers use different methods to illegally introduce their merchandise into the European Union and their aim is to conceal the fact that China is the product’s country of origin.
Now the real story begins. The methods the Chinese and others use (Agatha, here it comes) are several. The garlic is transhipped through a third country and reloaded into new containers, so to make this country appear as if it is the country of origin.
According to OLAF investigators and informed sources, countries like Jordan, Russia, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Egypt, Thailand, The Philippines and Myanmar have been found to be used for declarations.
Furthermore, OLAF investigators found out that certificates of origin are falsified, and without the garlic even passing through its country of origin on the basis of misleading information.
The tricks are getting better...fresh garlic is being misdeclared as dried or frozen garlic, for which far lower customs duties apply.
Think it is to end? Wait. Common garlic is also being misdeclared as elephant garlic, which means one clove only, which is not subject to specific import restrictions.
The hard nose detectives of OLAF have carried out extensive analysis of all trade flows of Chinese garlic worldwide.
The tough and courageous fight goes on, in cooperation with member states that are concerned with Chinese garlic smugglers and several of these investigations have already led to administrative and criminal proceedings. Bravo, Amen.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
It sounds like a criminal roman, even Agatha Christi couldn't think of something better. It is about Chinese garlic smugglers...see, I told you.
According to the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, at least 60 million Euros is the estimated financial damage caused to the European tax payer. And it is caused by three cases of Chinese garlic smuggling that are now being investigated.
The cases involving Chinese garlic alone rank third in the cases being investigated, 17 cases, ranked just behind sugar, 21 cases and meat, 20 cases.
The experience of OLAF in the fight against garlic smuggling was one of the topics that were discussed in Vienna at an international customs seminar with participants from 32 European countries.
Imports of fresh garlic to the European Union is subject to payment of 9.6% ad valorem duty and of 1200 Euros per ton, net weight.
The production capacity for garlic in China is very high and the production costs are low; the illegal import of fresh garlic under evasion of the levy is an attractive business for smugglers.
One single container carries an average of 20 tons of garlic and if this is successfully smuggled, and it is, it results in 24,000 Euros of illegal benefits, as the import duties are evaded.
And... here comes the detective story. Garlic Smugglers use different methods to illegally introduce their merchandise into the European Union and their aim is to conceal the fact that China is the product’s country of origin.
Now the real story begins. The methods the Chinese and others use (Agatha, here it comes) are several. The garlic is transhipped through a third country and reloaded into new containers, so to make this country appear as if it is the country of origin.
According to OLAF investigators and informed sources, countries like Jordan, Russia, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Egypt, Thailand, The Philippines and Myanmar have been found to be used for declarations.
Furthermore, OLAF investigators found out that certificates of origin are falsified, and without the garlic even passing through its country of origin on the basis of misleading information.
The tricks are getting better...fresh garlic is being misdeclared as dried or frozen garlic, for which far lower customs duties apply.
Think it is to end? Wait. Common garlic is also being misdeclared as elephant garlic, which means one clove only, which is not subject to specific import restrictions.
The hard nose detectives of OLAF have carried out extensive analysis of all trade flows of Chinese garlic worldwide.
The tough and courageous fight goes on, in cooperation with member states that are concerned with Chinese garlic smugglers and several of these investigations have already led to administrative and criminal proceedings. Bravo, Amen.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report