PetroChina to pay US$14.5mil fine for US export violations

PetroChina to pay US$14.5mil fine for US export violations

The company misclassified ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel as mineral oil mix.

The justice department said PetroChina has enhanced its compliance programme. (AFP pic)
WASHINGTON:
PetroChina International America, a unit of PetroChina, has agreed to pay a fine and forfeiture totalling US$14.5 million for violations of US export law, the justice department said on Tuesday.

Authorities discovered evidence the company had reported inaccurate information in an electronic database exporters use to declare international exports from the US, the US attorney’s office for the southern district of Texas said in a press release.

PetroChina International America “misclassified more than US$32 million of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel as mineral oil mix for certain export transactions to Mexico that took place in 2019 and 2020,” the office said.

The company has fully cooperated with the investigation into the violations and has enhanced its compliance programme, the office added.

PetroChina International America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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