Compliance Dept – Organization

QUESTION: We will be purchasing a new product release from our manufacturers the new product will be shipped globally, however I was tasked to review what product certification and product information would be required to imports in several countries. This is to request the manufacturer to prepare such documentation for us to distribute globally. Do […]

QUESTION: The ICPA membership was amazing in providing me feedback on my employer’s lack of a trade compliance program several years ago. I took some great advice on how to proceed with caution and have made huge strides in getting the company on track. Our most senior leadership is driving for corrections, we now have […]

QUESTION: We are an U.S. based manufacturer for oil/gas drilling equipment. We are trying to decide whether a trade compliance specialist handling 80% export and 20% import should locate in the U.S. or Mexico. This employee will deal with U.S. customs brokers and freight forwarders all the time. Is he legally required to be located […]

QUESTION: I would like to start having internal conversations about establishing an Import Trade Compliance Program, maybe create a manual.    Do any members have a Scope statement that you could share? Also, could any members share how their import trade compliance look?  I am trying to envision and internalize the concept as how it should […]

QUESTION: STAFFING QUESTION.  We are a bulk product manufacturer with 6 plants in 3 countries.  We ship to customers in over 70 countries.  Around $700 million in sales.  Our trade compliance dept. is responsible for all the trade compliance for imports and exports worldwide.  About 400 imports and 5,000 exports per year.  Not many new […]

QUESTION: I need to start documenting our trade compliance program in the form of creating written policies, procedures, work instructions in certain areas.(i.e. Free Trade Agreements , HTS Classification, Jurisdiction and Classification,  Export Authorizations, EEI filings, Export Recordkeeping, and Export License requirements. The company is enquiring about the ability to “outsource” this activity due to […]

QUESTION: I’ve been invited to the table and asked for Trade Compliance input on revising our corporate Terms and Conditions.If you were in the room, what would you ask for?  Trade Compliance-wise, what’s your best case scenario?  What do you want/need in your Ts and Cs?  Reach for the sky. ************* Answers: Below are documents […]

QUESTION: We are a multinational company with manufacturing facilities in the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the US. Our Trade Compliance Dept. is seated at Corporate in the U.S., we are currently facing an overload of regulatory issues due to both an increase of inter-company collaboration […]

QUESTION: Our company is looking to expand its internal audit program to include ITAR and Import/Export Compliance.  I have never worked for a company that has trade compliance integrated into internal audit.  It has always been a director or manager of trade compliance that acts as the “auditor” in most cases for the trade compliance […]

QUESTION: My company wants me to benchmark trade compliance departments with other firms. I’d appreciate if the trade community share their company’s trade compliance organizational structure. What is the name of your department?   Is it broken out by role & function; such as import / export / CTPAT / NAFTA / FTZ roles?   […]