Anti-dumping measures are a key defense mechanism used to protect domestic industries and maintain fair market competition. Governments worldwide employ anti-dumping restrictions to safeguard the quality and price stability of domestic products, often targeting imports that pose a significant threat to local industries. In Taiwan, anti-dumping cases predominantly involve products originating from mainland China.

Numerous anti-dumping cases handled by domestic investigative firms often lead to proactive enforcement measures, such as seizing illegal imports at customs. Importers frequently attempt to evade anti-dumping investigations through various deceptive practices.

One notable case investigated by Lex Solution Investigations involved a Chinese manufacturer circumventing anti-dumping reviews by rerouting containers through an unrestricted third country, Vietnam. The manufacturer altered documentation to list Vietnam as both the country of manufacture and export, thereby enabling legal entry into Taiwan. The goods, imported at prices below Taiwan’s production costs, flooded the domestic market, causing severe harm to local industries. Many businesses, unable to compete with the maliciously low prices, were forced to shut down.

To counteract this, an industry association pooled resources to hire Lex Solution Investigations to conduct a comprehensive anti-dumping investigation. The client provided information on the targeted importer, and Lex Solution investigators found that the listed business address in Vietnam was merely a shared office space, with the importer renting a single desk. Recognizing that investigations in Vietnam would yield limited results, the team shifted its focus to the manufacturing origin in China.

Through surveillance of the Chinese manufacturing facility, investigators observed containers being loaded directly within the factory premises, making it nearly impossible to document the packaging or loading process. Undercover investigations were deemed too risky, so the team decided to monitor the shipment process of specific containers. They tagged a container with a discreet marker and recorded the entire loading and transport process, capturing evidence of the container’s journey from the factory to a Vietnamese port. Investigators documented the ship’s name, nationality, and arrival date.

Before the container arrived in Vietnam, Lex Solution Investigations, in collaboration with a local detective agency, was positioned at the unloading port. They captured the unloading and reloading process, confirming that the tagged container remained untouched during transit. Using this evidence, the client filed for a preliminary injunction to detain the container upon its arrival at Taiwan’s Keelung Port.

A lengthy legal process ensued, culminating in the opening of the container, which revealed goods without origin markings despite import documents claiming Vietnam as the country of manufacture.

Anti-dumping investigations are arduous tasks requiring expertise, strategic planning, and extensive fieldwork. Only firms like Lex Solution Investigations, with vast experience in commercial investigations, can successfully navigate such complex cases.