Manila traders sued for fake, low-quality China imports

The owners and brokers of two trading companies in Manila are facing smuggling charges in the Department of Justice (DOJ) for importing nearly P64 million worth of counterfeit clothing items and substandard construction materials, all from China.

In separate cases filed in the DOJ, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday named the respondents as Rizaldy Valencia and Mae Espino, owners of Clurky Trading and Sun Ford Trading, respectively. Also sued were Elizar Lopez, broker for the Port Area-based Clurky; and Arnel Asuncion, broker for Sun Ford which is based in the Binondo district.

The action brought to 164 the total number of smuggling cases filed by the BOC, an agency attached to the Department of Finance, under the Aquino administration, the bureau said.

In a statement, the BOC said the goods imported by Clurky Trading, estimated to be worth P55 million, were packed inside three 40-foot freight containers and declared as ladies’ sandals, bags and swimwear.

But when inspected at the Manila International Container Port on Jan. 2, the cargo turned out to be fake Levi’s jeans, Adidas and Aeropostale shirts and jogging pants, among others.

The firm also failed to declare the other items in its shipment, such as mobile phone chargers and other electronic products.

Meanwhile, the charges against Sun Ford stemmed from its importation of 10 containers containing P8.95 million worth of wood and steel products on Jan 6.

The products neither went through mandatory product certification from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Product Standards nor were issued Import Commodity Clearances, the BOC noted.

The company also attempted to avoid paying the correct duties and taxes by misdeclaring its imported items as clamps, hinges and flexible tubings.

Customs Commissioner John Philip Sevilla noted “a very clear intent to cheat the government given the huge discrepancies in what Sun Ford declared and what we found after examining their shipments. These smuggled substandard construction materials flood our market, causing harm to our local industries and posing a threat to the safety of our people.”

Both Clurky Trading and Sun Ford Trading have yet to comment on the smuggling charges filed against them by the BOC. Jerry E. Esplanada