Importing 201: Building a Compliance Program That Holds Up

Building Stronger Compliance Programs in an Era of Heightened Customs Enforcement

Getting through customs isn't the finish line. It's part of an ongoing legal obligation: reasonable care.

Every importer of record is required to exercise reasonable care on every entry, and that obligation doesn't end when the shipment clears. This session picks up where the fundamentals leave off and covers what CBP actually expects between entries: how to audit past import transactions, what due diligence looks like in practice, how to put CBP rulings to work, and what records need to be kept and for how long. Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for building a customs compliance program, knowing when a prior disclosure is the right move, and catching costly errors before CBP does.

With evolving CBP enforcement priorities and Executive Order 14411 placing additional attention on customs compliance, importers and customs brokers need to understand how increased scrutiny may affect their responsibilities, documentation practices, and exposure to enforcement actions. This session will also address what these developments mean for businesses and how to prepare for heightened compliance expectations.

Session Highlights:

• The importer's burden of "reasonable care" under 19 U.S.C. § 1484
• How to audit past import transactions and catch errors before CBP does
• What due diligence importers should be performing, and how often
• How to put CBP rulings to work for classification, valuation and country of origin
• What records CBP expects importers to keep, and for how long
• When it's time to file a prior disclosure with CBP
• How to build a customs compliance program from the ground up
• Tools and systems for monitoring shipments and auditing broker performance
• Real transaction examples: what a mistake can actually cost
• How CBP's evolving enforcement priorities and Executive Order 14411 affect importers and customs brokers
• What increased scrutiny means for recordkeeping, broker oversight, due diligence, and potential customs liability

Presenters:

• Jennifer Diaz, President, Diaz Trade Law
• Dana Watts, Of Counsel, Diaz Trade Law

Who Should Attend:

• Importers
• Freight Forwarders
• Manufacturers
• Foreign Purchasers in Routed Export Transactions
• Customs Brokers
• Regulatory Affairs Professionals
• In-house Legal Counsel
• Product Development Managers
• Others interested in Customs Compliance

--Approved for 3 CCS/MCS, LCB credits--