Trade Fraud Case Tracker
Overview
Comprehensive tracking of closed and pending U.S. trade fraud enforcement actions from 2023-2026
State of Play
Tens of billions of dollars in estimated trade fraud annually are met with fewer than a dozen resolved cases per year. The largest matters often settle at 50-70% discounts from initial exposure. Closed cases average more than eight years from first violation to resolution, and while criminal charges do occur, they do so inconsistently and late in the enforcement cycle.
Taken together, these figures suggest an enforcement posture whose scale, pace, and throughput are materially misaligned with the volume, sophistication, and persistence of the underlying conduct.
Note: This is an objective assessment of publicly available case data, not a critique of individual prosecutors, investigators, or agencies working within current statutory and resource constraints.
Time from Start of Fraud to Resolution: Average 8.2 years
Showing all 28 closed trade fraud cases between 2023 - 2026 for which information is available | Total Settled: $317M
The Real Cost of Delay
While cases drag on for years, the damage compounds daily
Years of Unchecked Fraud
Fraudulent actors continue operating and profiting throughout years-long investigations
Market Share Hemorrhage
Honest American manufacturers lose contracts, customers, and employees to fraudulent competitors
Price Dependency Trap
Supply chains become dependent on fraudulent pricing, making enforcement economically harder
Permanent Business Closure
By the time cases resolve, many competing U.S. businesses have already shut their doors forever
Deterrence Failure
Violators see years of profitable fraud before any consequences, encouraging more bad actors
Lost Manufacturing Capacity
Each year of delay represents millions in irreversible American manufacturing capability
Average Time to Resolution: 8.2 years
That's 2993 days of damage before justice is served
Resolutions by Year
Penalties by Year
Closed Cases by Industry
Trade Crime Impacted a Broad Range of Industries
Financial Penalties by Case
Three Cases Made Up More than 50% of the Total Take
Closed Cases by Type
Criminal Charges made up just more than 25% of Total Cases
Pending Cases by Type
Criminal Charges make up 50% of Pending Cases with Active Trade Fraud Litigation in Process
Note: Based on publicly reported federal actions, this tracker summarizes the most significant known trade-fraud resolutions and filed cases not yet resolved, and is not exhaustive of all investigations or filings.