Sigma Corp. Unlawfully Dodged China Customs Duties, Court Says

A jury properly found that Sigma Corp. owes $8 million for violating the False Claims Act by failing to pay US Customs and Border Protection antidumping duties on pipe parts imported from China, the Ninth Circuit affirmed Monday.

Whistleblower Island Industries Inc. showed that Sigma had an obligation to pay antidumping duties when it imported the parts, and made false statements on customs forms that deprived the government of money, Judge Michelle T. Friedland of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said. The ruling affirmed that FCA whistleblowers can file suits in federal district courts to recover ...