Moore & Bruce, LLP is involved in all aspects of U.S. customs law practice. Laws regulating imports are administered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Our clients are importers, customs brokers, trading companies, domestic manufacturers engaged in out-sourcing of component parts and exporters claiming duty drawback benefits.

Our representation includes counseling, obtaining rulings and participating in administrative proceedings and litigation involving classification, value, penalties, drawback, quota restraints, foreign assembly transactions, country of origin marking and entry procedures. We also advise foreign exporters and U.S. importers on inter-company pricing issues.

We are frequently engaged in matters involving classification issues on behalf of importers. With increasing frequency, the stakes in classification matters involve more than disputes over tariff rates; they can determine whether imported products can continue to have access to the U.S. market. For example, under mechanisms for managing international trade in such sectors as textiles, agricultural products and steel, the tariff classification often carries with it quantitative restraints on imports from certain countries or is determinative of whether the products fall within the scope of antidumping orders.

Significant projects involving classification issues include:

Obtaining rulings necessary to restructure the packing operations of a food processor to take advantage of opportunities to lower distribution costs in serving U.S. and Canadian markets under NAFTA;

Participating in administrative proceedings before the CBP and litigation in the Court of International Trade challenging the reclassification of certain steel products;

Negotiating with the CBP to resolve testing protocol issues concerning the purity of minerals imported from Africa, which issues are dispositive of the tariff classification;

The Firm’s customs practice also involves issues regarding valuation, country of origin marking and penalties.

Illustrative projects include:

Negotiating with the CBP for the cancellation of seizure notices relating to the infringement of U.S. trademarks on component parts that were included in imported machine tools;

Defending importers before the CBP and the Court of International Trade in penalty actions for allegedly improper disclosures of the value and misclassification of merchandise entered;

Counseling a U.S. computer manufacturer on country of origin marking issues relating to sourcing of component parts, so that the products manufactured would comply with the different and sometimes conflicting marking requirements of the Tariff Act of 1930, NAFTA and Federal Trade Commission regulations.

In addition to representing importers before the CBP, the Firm is active in representing exporters in claiming duty drawback benefits. We offer a comprehensive “export audit” program that reviews eligibility to claim government export incentives, including drawback and tax benefits.

For additional information, contact Jonathon Moore at 1 202 965 5300.