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 […]
Question: I am putting together a procedure on how our Trade Compliance Department obtains notifications and communications regarding changes to import and export regulations (i.e., federal agencies, trade associations, newsletters, etc.). Does anyone have a sample or guidance that they would be willing to share on this process?************ ANSWER: I check the Federal Register everyday […]
Question: I’ve requested an additional person to assist with the ever-increasing compliance responsibilities at our mid-size (650 employee) company. If approved, I’ll need to find someone who is more than just clerical support. The right person could eventually take over my job as Compliance Officer but that is (hopefully) many years down the road. This […]
