Practical Guidance for Moving Goods and Technology Across Borders
International trade creates significant opportunities, but it also requires businesses to navigate customs regulations, export controls, economic sanctions, licensing requirements, and extensive documentation rules. A classification error, incomplete filing, restricted party, or overlooked license can delay a shipment, increase costs, and expose a company to penalties or government enforcement.
Saluja Law, PLLC assists importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors, and international businesses in managing these risks. We provide practical guidance that supports our clients' commercial objectives while promoting compliance with U.S. law.
Import Compliance
Businesses importing merchandise into the United States remain responsible for the accuracy of information submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, even when a customs broker prepares the entry. Importers must exercise reasonable care in determining how goods are classified, valued, marked, documented, and declared.
Import compliance should begin before merchandise reaches a U.S. port. Advance review of tariff classification, country of origin, customs valuation, admissibility, and applicable duties can help avoid unexpected costs, shipment delays, penalties, and seizures.
Saluja Law advises clients regarding importer-of-record responsibilities, tariff classification, customs valuation, product marking, related-party transactions, binding rulings, recordkeeping, post-entry corrections, and administrative protests. We also evaluate the effect of Section 301 duties, Section 232 tariffs, and antidumping or countervailing duties on pricing, sourcing, and supply-chain decisions.
Export Controls and Technology Transfers
The export of goods, software, technology, technical data, and services may require federal authorization. Licensing requirements can depend upon the item's technical characteristics, destination, recipient, and intended end use.
Export controls are not limited to physical shipments. Providing controlled technology or technical information to a foreign national, including within the United States, may constitute a regulated release. Companies employing foreign-national engineers, researchers, consultants, or technical personnel should therefore evaluate export requirements before providing access to controlled equipment, software, or information.
We assist with export classifications, license determinations and applications, Export Administration Regulations compliance, International Traffic in Arms Regulations considerations, deemed-export analysis, end-user diligence, Technology Control Plans, and recordkeeping. Our combined immigration and international trade experience allows us to coordinate workforce planning with export-control obligations as part of a unified compliance strategy.
Economic Sanctions and Restricted Parties
Transactions may be prohibited or restricted because of the countries, individuals, businesses, financial institutions, vessels, or industries involved. These restrictions can affect payment, financing, transportation, insurance, and the delivery of goods or services.
Effective compliance requires a company to evaluate more than its immediate customer. The review may need to include beneficial owners, end users, intermediaries, banks, freight forwarders, and other transaction participants. Saluja Law assists with sanctions screening, restricted-party reviews, end-user diligence, country-specific restrictions, OFAC licensing considerations, and transactional risk assessments. Identifying these concerns before funds are transferred or goods are shipped can prevent costly disruptions and regulatory exposure.
Compliance Programs and Corrective Action
An effective compliance program should reflect the company's actual products, personnel, customers, destinations, and business practices. We help clients develop practical written policies, classification procedures, screening protocols, recordkeeping standards, employee training, and internal review processes that can be incorporated into daily operations.
When a possible violation is discovered, we assist in evaluating the conduct, identifying affected transactions, preserving records, and implementing corrective measures. When appropriate, we also advise regarding prior disclosures, voluntary self-disclosures, post-entry corrections, and other administrative remedies.
Government Inquiries and Enforcement
Compliance matters can become urgent when a government agency detains a shipment, requests information, issues a penalty notice, or begins an investigation. These actions frequently involve strict deadlines and immediate commercial consequences.
Saluja Law assists clients with CBP information requests, merchandise detentions and exclusions, customs penalties, liquidated-damages claims, import and export investigations, seizures, forfeiture proceedings, petitions for mitigation, protests, and administrative appeals. We evaluate the government's position, preserve the client's rights, and develop a response that addresses both the immediate dispute and the company's continuing operations.
Supporting Global Commerce
Import and export compliance should be integrated into purchasing, contracting, logistics, finance, human resources, and supply-chain decisions. Addressing these requirements early allows businesses to reduce risk, prevent disruption, and pursue international opportunities with greater confidence.
Whether your business is preparing for its first international transaction, reviewing an established supply chain, transferring technology to foreign-national personnel, or responding to government action, Saluja Law can help identify the applicable requirements and develop a practical path forward.
Contact Saluja Law, PLLC to discuss your import and export compliance needs.