Question: We just went through a thorough Customs audit and have identified the areas where improvement and change is needed. The current person in charge of imports does not have the knowledge to accurately do the job. Compliance has suggested several times that we hire someone competent in import compliance, but time and time again […]
Question: I am being asked to present what is trade compliance – the role of import and export and what it means to the organization. Does anyone have a PPT presentation or something written up that willing to share ? *************** The role of import trade compliance is to ensure that Reasonable Care is followed […]
Question: Based on your experience what is the best & most effective Organizational Structure for the Customs/Trade Compliance Function? Should it be centralized (Corp Led) or de-centralized (within divisions/business units/locations, etc)? What function does trade compliance report into whether at Corporate or within divisions – (e.g., legal, finance/controllership, tax, etc.)? How are day-to-day execution of […]
Question: Can someone advise what’s the general format of the trade compliance manual? Do we need to put the regulations and rules at front and then our trade procedure? Some people argued that it’s necessary to have regulations in the manual. Can we just reference the codes of the regulations in the manual? The regulations […]
Question: We are looking to better understand how other companies are managing this same challenge in pharmaceuticals/Biotech, or another “like” industry. Most recently the conversation about Trade Compliance has turned to organizational structure and operating model. Here is a list of the type of information that we are looking for: · Global presence […]
Question: I am currently managing multiple areas in the company in which I am employed. I am looking for feedback from the members as to how other companies Import & Export Departments or duties are structured . I work for a mid-size company – Importer/Manufacturer. Currently I handle all aspects of our Importing side of […]
Question: Our Compliance Department is currently reviewing and revamping our Import Compliance Manual and SOPs. Our SOPs have a three-tiered structure. Level 1 is a high level overview of a process. Level 2 SOP are process flow charts. Level 3 SOP are the step-by-step how-to instructions. Our previous Compliance Manager signed off on all of […]
Question: I have been hired to create a trade compliance program for a midsize import / export company. To my surprise, there isn’t a centralized department nor does senior management understand the fundamentals. I am looking for a big statement of what trade compliance is……something along the lines of Trade compliance is the bridge between […]
Question: How is your Organization structured to handle Product Classification (e.g. Centralized, Decentralized)? What is the scope of the classification team’s responsibilities? (e.g. HTS, ECCN, CSOO) How many parts are classified per month & how long does the classification of a single part typically take? ============ Answers: Large multi-division company – previously had no knowledge […]
Survey Results: Warm thanks to the 90 ICPA members who took the time to complete the Trade Compliance Department Benchmarking survey circulated in February. The response summaries with graphs can be viewed at the following link (password ICPA2014): https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-6P6C92Q/. The full survey results are included in the attached Excel file.Trade Compliance Benchmarking Survey Results My […]
Question: We are a large company in the US with multiple affiliates and offices around the country. All of these entities are wholly owned by our US parent company and legally report to the parent company (whom I work for). However, many of the affiliates have their own procedures for certain things (e.g. hiring/firing, benefits, […]
Question: I’d like to address my question to those ICPA members who have a large trade compliance organization consisting of various and separately run businesses with corporate oversight. We are a large global company with more than 20 business units in the US and more than 30 outside the US. Each business unit has their […]
