One of the most significant customs cases in the history of the United States occurred recently. As known, the American brand Ford manufactures the majority of its commercial vehicles in Turkey in collaboration with Otosan. The company discovered fraud in the commercial vehicles it imported to the US market under the Ford brand and imposed a substantial fine. Here are the details…
US Customs prepares a fine of $365 million for Ford!
As known, the Ford brand has been collaborating with Otosan for many years. Many products in the brand’s commercial vehicle range are designed and produced in Turkey. Models such as the electric E-Transit, F-Max, and Courier were designed and manufactured in Turkey and then introduced to the global market. Of course, there are also versions of these models that do not enter the European market. They have larger engines and are directly destined for the US market.
It should be noted that there is also a significant commercial vehicle market in the United States. Ford Turkey also produces and imports versions with 3.2 and 3.5 engines for this market. However, there are serious problems regarding the cargo vans imported from Turkey by the brand between 2009-2013.
According to allegations, the brand temporarily added passenger seats to the rear of these vehicles. Thanks to these seats, the vehicles fell into the 2.5% tax bracket instead of the 25% tax bracket. This helped keep the prices of the vehicles at a considerably lower level.
However, the US Department of Justice found that 163,000 Transit Connect vehicles entered the country in this way and that these vehicles were later stripped of their rear seats and converted into light commercial models. In connection with this, the US imposed a fine of $184 million for unpaid tax amounts. Additionally, a further $181 million was fined for the irregularities committed. In total, Ford will pay a fine of $365 million.
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