International Trade and Customs

The Whittier Law Firm has well over 25 years experience in providing advice and representation to a great many domestic and foreign based companies, relating to matters concerning international trade, U.S. import/export regulations and transnational transactions.

In keeping with our mission to facilitate trade and global business through sound legal advocacy, we service clients of all sizes from industry leaders to small, smart mezzanine firms looking for an edge. Our client companies and entrepreneurs operate in a variety of industries, such as: - shipping, freight forwarding, computer technologies, manufacturing and world-wide distribution networks. We are particularly involved in providing on-going legal advice to producers and purveyors of crude oil, natural gas, coal, wind turbines and solar paneling; and their related equipment providers who seek to exploit new markets offering preferential tax treatment, exchange control concessions and other economic incentives. Many of our clients operate in the newly emerging markets in Africa, South & Central America and the Middle & Far East.

In addition to our transactional work, the Whittier Law Firm assists global traders to navigate the myriad laws and regulations governing international trade with the United States.

On the import side we advise our clients on a full range of pre-emptive and remedial measures aimed at avoiding or reducing unexpected or unwarranted U.S. Customs scrutiny, fines and penalties. The issues include:

• Import Compliance (The Customs Modernization Act and its amendments)
• Tariff Classification Appeals
• C-TPAT Registration
• Bioterrorism Act 2002 Compliance
• U.S. Customs Ruling Letter Requests
• Petition and Mitigation Appeals
• Company Specific Import Management Programs
• Duty Drawback
• Supply Chain Compliance Management

In regard to our clients who are exporters, we advise on a host of topics specific to the shipment of goods from the United States to foreign countries. Our mission here is to guide the client away from avoidable breaches of the law regarding the nature of the goods being exported and/or the destination country for those goods. The law in this case centers on issues of national security and fair trading regulations and practices. These issues include:

• Exports and re-exports of advance technologies to developing countries (South Africa, Malaysia, Venezuela)
• Country-specific trade sanctions (e.g., Sudan, Libya, North Korea, Cuba)
• Sector-specific controls: Encryption Technology, Advanced Weaponry, Advanced Surveillance and Night Vision Technology
• Anti-boycott regulations
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-bribery protocols
• "Deemed Exports" related to foreign national employees
• Due diligence investigations for prospective Merger & Acquisitions by foreign corporations and individuals

The Whittier Law Firm will advise you and your company on all of the items listed above and more depending on your business requirements as they relate to trade with the United States. Part of this effort is to create proactive, compliance programs for clients that will anticipate future issues of conflict with U.S. Customs, the U.S. State Department or other government agencies. These compliance programs build into the clients' business model procedures that will comply with the law as it exists presently and provide for changes which are bound to occur.

We welcome you to contact the Whittier Law Firm at 212-269-2111 to make an appointment to plan the best legal course of action for your business with the United States and the world.