Client

A manufacturer of engineered and forged metal products.

Challenge

The customer contracted with a duty drawback specialist specializing in the metal and manufacturing industry. As a heavy user of titanium, a valuable and high-duty product, the returns available were lucrative. However, the hired drawback firm was putting forth fraudulent claims unbeknown to their client. By falsifying certificates of delivery between firms, the same product was often “double-dipped,” and due to the confidentiality necessary for supply-chain drawback, the firms involved were not aware until the scheme was revealed through a criminal investigation.

As a result, the companies involved, including our future client, were ordered to pay back millions in returns that their service provider had fraudulently obtained without their knowledge. They would also be subjected to intense scrutiny should they want to pursue drawback refunds again.

Solution

J.M. Rodgers was brought in to identify and correct misfiled claims. After hours of evaluating the documentation for claims made by the previous service provider, J.M. Rodgers filed corrections with supporting documentation. In many cases, JMR sat with the customer during the audit process to represent them with Customs. J.M. Rodgers has consistently responded to the extra scrutiny due to our impeccable internal process for auditing claims, leading to a flawless program throughout the time that J.M. Rodgers has handled their account.

Results

The client has cleared up past liabilities from a fraudulent service provider and has returned to good standing with Customs. They now have an ongoing duty drawback project that can return healthy and compliant refunds yearly. A compliant drawback program allows this client to claim over a million dollars in previously unrealized annual refunds.

Photo by Ant Rozetsky on Unsplash