Customs

Representative Experience

• Achieved cancellation of a million-dollar penalty imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) alleging negligent tariff classification of certain parts of electrical machines.
• Assisted a worldwide consumer electronics company in all phases of a Focused Assessment audit stretching from initial questionnaire through to the final report and follow up reviews.
• Advised large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on significant transfer pricing and customs valuation related issues.
• Assistance to apparel importers concerning a variety of tariff classification issues.
• Conducted NAFTA audits and reviews for major chemical, equipment, and automotive parts importers.
• Negotiated significant reductions in CBP administrative fraud penalty.
• Obtained favorable ruling from CBP with substantial duty savings for a global specialty chemical company’s further production of U.S. goods abroad and return to the U.S., resulting in a partial duty reduction.
• Obtained expedited release of large quantity of footwear seized by CBP alleging counterfeit trademarked components and achieved significant mitigation of penalties to nominal amounts.
• Numerous prior disclosures and associated voluntary tenders to CBP regarding tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, and preferential duty programs.
• Obtained favorable rulings from CBP affecting the applicability of antidumping duty orders to imported merchandise.
• Established value reconciliation programs for clients following up on disclosures submitted to CBP.
• Achieved cancellation of million-dollar penalty imposed by U.S. Customs over client's alleged negligent tariff classification of certain parts of electrical machines based on error by Customs, while advocating a corrected classification with a zero rate of duty.
• Defeated all claims of the Canadian National Railway seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars from 10 defendants for shipping expenses based upon claims asserted under the Interstate Commerce Act.
• Successfully petitioned the DOC in an investigation into the importing of wire hangers from China by client Whitmor for a ruling that our client’s hangers were outside the scope of the antidumping order and not subject to antidumping duties. DOC agreed and issued a scope ruling that will allow Whitmor’s hangers to enter the U.S. without antidumping duties. Further, based on this ruling, CBP closed its investigation.
• Negotiated significant reduction in administrative fraud penalty imposed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
• Obtained release of thousands of pairs of shoes seized by U.S. Customs due to counterfeit trademarked components with expedited release and significant mitigation down to nominal penalties.
• Numerous voluntary disclosures to Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) regarding ITAR compliance issues, including unlicensed exports of goods and technical data.
• Achieved revocation of anti-dumping order at International Trade Administration.