How to Survive CBP Free Trade Agreement Verification

Why Should You Attend:

Companies that import products free of duty or at reduced rates under Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or other special trade programs must use “reasonable care” to ensure that their products qualify for such beneficial treatment, and they must be able to substantiate their claim upon request by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP).Thus, in addition to the documentation required by regulation or statute, CBP often requests much more extensive supporting documentation while conducting verifications.

This training will discuss the ways one’s company can ensure compliance with applicable FTA and special trade program rules and be prepared for the inevitable Request for Information from CBP seeking verification of company’s claims.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• How to determine the rules applicable to imported products
• What information one should obtain from supplier and how one can verify the information
• What documentation one should retain and for how long
• Establishing a self-audit plan for FTA and special trade program claims
• Actions one should take when company receives a Request for Information from CBP seeking verification of the claim
• Review of information and documentation provided by the supplier in preparation for response to CBP
• How to prepare response to the CBP verification request
• What actions one can take if CBP denies company’s claim

Who Will Benefit:

This training will provide valuable assistance to all the professionals in companies that import products into the United States from countries or regions that have Free Trade Agreements or participate in other special trade programs. The following job titles/position will benefit:

• Compliance officers
• General/corporate counsel
• Regulatory/legislative affairs professionals
• Risk management specialists
• Supply chain specialists
• Training personnel

Donna L Shira
Attorney, Spcblaw

Donna Shira is a member of the law firm of Sharretts, Paley, Carter & Blauvelt, P.C., one of the preeminent firms in the field of U.S. Customs and international trade law. Ms. Shira graduated from Columbia University Law School in 1983 and has over 30 years of experience in a wide range of Customs and trade-related matters, with an emphasis on textile and apparel matters, Free Trade Agreements, consumer product safety issues, country of origin issues, cargo security and C-TPAT participation, Customs compliance audits and the Importer Self-Assessment program, and global trade issues. She has represented clients in several Section 301 and China safeguard actions and testified before the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements on textile quota matters.

Ms. Shira is an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, teaching Customs and international trade law, and is Co-President of the New York chapter of the Organization for Women in International Trade. She has lectured on various topics, including NAFTA, classification issues, compliance, consumer product safety, and cargo security. She is admitted to practice at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Topic Background:

Claiming duty benefits under a Free Trade Agreement or other special trade program is not simply a matter of shipping a product from the relevant beneficiary country. Each agreement or program has its own special rules for determining whether such products qualify for the benefits. In addition to obtaining the correct Certificate of Origin or other approved document for the individual programs, importers must learn the applicable rules of origin and verify the sourcing of materials and production locations, to confirm that their products will qualify for beneficial treatment. Advance preparation can lead to successful CBP verifications.

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