US pursues $8m tax claim against supplier of cigarettes and alcohol to ships

A tussle over taxes between the US government and a Port of Houston duty-free seller that provides cigarettes and alcohol to merchant ships has spilled over into bankruptcy court.

The US Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is fighting to keep intact it's claim that Gulf Coast Maritime Supply owes more than $8m to the federal government, continuing a fight that stretches back nearly six years.