Ford Romania Sues State To Recover $3.5M Paid In Customs Duties

Ford Romania requests the annulment of an administrative document whereby it paid 11 million lei ($3.5 million) in customs duties for car parts imports from Korea, between November 2007 and November 2008.

Mircea Matei, coordinating manager of the Craiova Regional Department for Excises and Customs Operations DRAOV, said imports and exports are subject to the customs regime and stressed that Ford could have asked at that time to be exempt from paying customs duties.

Matei stressed that Ford officials’ request goes against all Romanian and European laws, as it comes two years after the company paid the respective amount, whereas the law clearly stipulates the request can be submitted within maximum one year from the payment of the respective duties.

Ford Romania representative Nadia Crisan on Monday confirmed the litigation between Ford Romania, on the one hand, and the National Fiscal Administration Agency ANAF, the National Customs Authority ANV, the Department of Customs Techniques and Control with ANV and the DRAOV, on the other hand, which targets the restitution of $3.5 million by the Romanian state. Crisan added the trial is due to start on April 8.