A U.S. businessman imported Honduran lobster tails in plastic containers rather than cardboard packaging. For this violation of Honduran law, he was indicted and convicted by the United States and sentenced to eight years in a U.S. prison.
In importing wildlife or plants, the U.S. requires business owners to know obscure and highly technical laws of almost 200 other nations. The owners must also predict how the U.S. government will interpret those foreign laws. If the authorities think any of them have been violated, the owners are subject to criminal indictment.
Gibson, a U.S. manufacturer of fine guitars, imports wood from India used for fingerboards. Indian authorities provided sworn statements approving the shipment. Nevertheless, 30 armed federal agents stormed Gibson’s Tennessee factory, sent workers home, and seized 100 guitars and other property, costing the owner over $2 million.
Why? The agency interpreted Indian law to mean that the parts should have been finished in India rather than by U.S. craftsmen.
In America alone, there are over 4,000 federal criminal offenses. Call it the rule of law after law after law after law after law.
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