CUSTOMS AND TRADE

International trade consists in exchanging capital, goods, and services across international borders. However, one country's business standards may not always translate to the required practices in the United States.

The U.S. Government regulates the import and export of goods and services crossing all of the country's borders through regulatory provisions enforced by U.S. Customs. By acting as "Gatekeepers", U.S. Customs enforces not only its own import and export regulations, but also those of other U.S. Federal Agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Trade Commission.

Our professionals have significant experience helping foreign and domestic companies to comply with U.S. Customs and U.S. Federal Agency regulations concerning the importation of products into the U.S.

We assist our clients to take a more proactive role by ensuring their products are in full compliance prior to entry. For those companies that are already in detention, we work with appropriate agencies and submit appropriate testing or documentation to remove the violation that resulted in the detention.

We have represented clients in specific areas of customs and international trade law, including:

Customs detentions and penalties
Custom detention litigation
Importation of controlled products (Food, Beverages, etc.)
Pre-importation planning
Labeling requirements
Good manufacturing practices
Tariff disputes
NAFTA and other Free Trade Agreements Qualification

The following are some examples of the U.S. Federal Agencies that control the importation of products into the U.S.:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The FDA protects the public health by assuring the safety of the food supply, human and veterinary drugs, dietary supplement, vaccines and medical devices commercialized within the U.S. This Agency reviews and approves all food and drug products entering the U.S. before passing through U.S. Customs.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA protects public health and public welfare by regulating the emissions of hazardous air pollutants. This Agency reviews and approves all products with potential to pollute before passing through U.S. Customs.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The FTC enforces rules and regulations designed to ensure the rights of consumers, fair trade competition, and free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. Before the product passes through U.S. Customs, this Agency reviews and approves the product's competitive business practice.