There is a new twist on issues revolving around tariffs potentially impacting general contractors. AGC members Chris Denny, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Turner Construction Company, and Bob Lizza, Chief Legal Officer, Consigli Construction Co., Inc., highlighted recent developments that could have serious implications for the construction industry. At a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., there was a discussion about growing federal enforcement efforts that contractors should not ignore.

It has been publicly reported that the U.S. Department of Justice intends to “aggressively” enforce the False Claims Act (FCA), as Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston said in a speech at the Federal Bar Association’s annual qui tam conference earlier this year. FCA cases alleging that an importer evaded customs duties by undervaluing imported products, misclassifying imports, or misrepresenting a product’s country of origin are on the rise.