DOJ launches permanent trade fraud unit after $1 billion recovery
In brief
- DOJ established Global Trade Enforcement Section within National Fraud Division on July 14
- Trade Fraud Task Force recovered over $1 billion in penalties and charged losses since August 2025
- New unit prosecutes tariff evasion, import misreporting, product safety breaches, and forced labor violations
- Criminal prosecution replaces civil-penalty approach in trade enforcement strategy
- Mining hardware and computing equipment imports face heightened customs scrutiny
Permanent Structure, Expanded Mandate
The Global Trade Enforcement Section builds on the Trade Fraud Task Force, which was established on August 29, 2025, as a joint effort between the DOJ, Department of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Protection. The task force's rapid accumulation of $1 billion in recoveries, penalties, and charged losses justified the upgrade to permanent status, according to Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald.
The new section will handle criminal cases involving tariff evasion, misreporting of import values, violations of product safety regulations, and breaches of anti-forced labor laws. This represents a significant shift from previous enforcement approaches that leaned heavily on civil penalties and administrative fines. Criminal prosecution changes the calculus for companies operating in global trade.
Impact on Supply Chains and Compliance
The enforcement push falls squarely under the America First Trade Policy framework, with particular attention to imports from China. Mining hardware, particularly ASIC miners and GPU components, flows through the same international supply chains now under heightened scrutiny.
Companies importing computing equipment from overseas manufacturers could face increased customs inspection and valuation challenges under the new enforcement regime. The permanent unit signals the DOJ's commitment to sustained, criminal-level pressure on trade fraud—not seasonal task-force activity. Compliance costs for importers are likely to rise as a result.
The shift to permanent status also indicates this enforcement area will receive consistent funding and personnel, unlike temporary task forces that dissolve when political priorities shift. For global supply chains touching the U.S. market, the message is clear: criminal liability now attaches to trade violations that previously drew only civil fines.
