Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Three Chinese Nationals and Companies Sued by Fe”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
Two Bay Area men, one Chinese national, and three companies based in the Bay Area and China have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using multiple methods to import Chinese-made building materials while falsely claiming they originated from Malaysia, evading over $100 million in U.S. tariffs.
According to the indictment unsealed last week, the three defendants are Xin Mian Pan (also known as Henry Pan), a 63-year-old San Francisco resident; Hua Liang Xie (also known as Nolan Xie), a 61-year-old South San Francisco resident; and Jinhua Wang (also known as Johnson Wang), a 53-year-old Chinese national. Two of the involved Bay Area companies, Uni-Tile & Marble Inc. and Uni-Stone & Cabinet Inc., are controlled by Pan, while the third is Shenzhen Top & Profit International Forwarding Co. Ltd.
Pan was arrested last week and has appeared in court.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants, over several years, avoided paying anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, and other tariffs on Chinese-made quartz countertop products, wooden cabinets and vanities, and ceramic tiles imported into the United States. The government claims these actions undermined trade laws designed to protect U.S. manufacturers and workers.
The defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, smuggling, and making false statements to customs officials. Pan and his companies also face money laundering charges.
The indictment alleges that from September 2018 to August 2023, the defendants sought to evade high tariffs after the U.S. Department of Commerce determined that Chinese products were being sold in the U.S. at extremely low prices or were receiving subsidies from the Chinese government.
According to the data, tariffs on quartz products exceeded 340%, on wooden cabinets and vanities were 250%, and on ceramic tiles approached 690%.
Prosecutors allege that the companies controlled by Pan used several methods to evade these high tariffs, including transshipping through Malaysia, using shell companies, misclassifying products, and submitting false documents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Wang and his freight forwarding company are accused of assisting in the transshipment of Chinese-made products through Malaysia, claiming the products were manufactured in Malaysia before they were imported through the Port of Oakland. Xie, a licensed customs broker, is accused of submitting false customs documents.
Prosecutors allege that the scheme involved 520 shipments, and the defendants evaded more than $109 million in taxes.
CBP has issued a pre-penalty notice of approximately $222.5 million to Pan and Uni-Tile & Marble Inc., alleging that the individuals and companies involved imported goods through fraudulent means.
If convicted, the three defendants face between 2 and 20 years in prison for each count. As of press time, the newspaper was unable to reach the defendants for comment.
Uni-Stone & Cabinet Inc., which was sued by the federal government for alleged tax evasion, is shown on its website as having three design showrooms in the Bay Area. (Web screenshot)
Source: Read the original article | Published: December 22, 2025