Supply Chain Spotlight News 04/04/2019

French Customs Officers Seize Unmanifested Tobacco From Cargo Truck

French customs officers in Jura, France stopped a cargo truck along the A39 highway for inspection and discovered approximately 17 tonnes of unmanifested tobacco hidden among other cargo. The truck, registered in Lithuania, had paperwork stating that the cargo being transported was bandages. It is unclear where the unmanifested cargo was introduced into the shipment

Ongoing Investigation into Multi-State Cargo Theft

Illinois state police are continuing their investigation into multiple cargo thefts that began in May 2018 and have continued into 2019. Police have released surveillance photos of five men believed to have been involved in the thefts. The commodities stolen were stated as copper and other high valued cargo. The thefts occurred in Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, Texas, and most recently, the Jolet area of Illinois

Chinese Pork Seized at American Port

Roughly 1 million pounds of illegally smuggled Chinese pork was intercepted at the Port of Newark in New Jersey in mid-March. The meat was smuggled in standard shipping containers. Chinese pork imports into the United States are typically controlled due to the prevalence of African swine fever in Chinese hog herds.

Explosion at Chinese Chemical Plant Raises Safety Concerns

An explosion at a chemical plant in Yancheng, China resulted in 47 deaths, nearly 100 major injuries, and caused nearby factories to catch fire. According to one source, some at the factory had been concerned about safety at the plant for some time, despite local officials’ statements that they had detected no deficiencies prior to the blast. However, the explosion prompted local officials to conduct emergency inspections at other chemical facilities in the area.