Our Customs and International Trade Law Practice advises small business owners on the legal aspects  of importing and exporting goods and services to and from the United States. 

Customs and international trade law is a complex field of statutes and regulations that is frequently changing. Companies that import and export merchandise, services and technologies must be familiar with the regulations and restrictions reduce civil and criminal penalty risks. 

Our customs and international trade practice includes assisting clients with issues before the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies that deal with international trade regulation and in related appeals before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Specifically, small business owners are safeguarded in the following areas: :

• Export control and economic sanctions laws and regulations
• Intellectual property trade enforcement proceedings
• Trade policy and legislation
• Customs compliance and enforcement
• FCPA compliance

Moreover, Customs lawyer routinely  advise on tariff classification, valuation, country of origin and marking requirements, customs audits, protests, penalties and liquidated damages claims, prior disclosures and voluntary tenders, preferential duty programs, bonded warehouses and Foreign Trade Zones, and ATA Carnets.

In addition, through Customs and International Trade Law practice, small business owners are assisted to secure a license from the DOC for the export of ‘dual use’ goods, or from the Department of State for the shipment of military goods; We also assist clients before the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring organizations and international narcotics traffickers.

On the international trade practice side, Customs and International Trade refers to global regulatory law. International trade work is often closely tied to headline-making current events, and associates grapple with key policy as well as legal issues. Thus it’s hard to generate the knowledge base required just by reading the case law. We keep track of negotiations at the WTO and other multilateral, regional and bilateral regimes.

Culturally Sensitive. 

In Customs and International Trade practice, the ability to work comfortably in several languages is so helpful and a fluency with culture is vital. Thus culture sensitiveness and openness is a must.