On October 31, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted guidelines to mitigate penalties for wood packing material violations. The guidelines outline the conditions under which mitigation will be granted and the different mitigation amounts for first, second, and subsequent violations.
CBP notes several examples of mitigating factors:
- Evidence of immediate action taken;
- The material was treated properly, and the error was in marking;
- The material was marked but illegible;
- A contributing error by CBP.
CBP also notes several aggravating factors:
- Lack of cooperation;
- False information;
- Attempts to conceal violation;
- Failure to take action timely.
The guidelines can be found here:
