Trade Compliance in Challenging Regions

The goal of any trade compliance organization is to set forth processes with qualified people and partners so that all imports will be declared correctly in their respective country. While this can be managed quite easily in North America and Europe, it continues to be a challenge in more difficult regions like Africa, Latin America, and Russia. 

It is in these harder-to-manage locations where we see companies struggling with implementing and running long-term successful and efficient compliance programs.

Regional Difficulties & Global Solutions

Certain locations offer a bevy of challenges to the compliance-minded individual.  Communication and access are the first two issues that come to mind.

Can you effectively communicate with the persons involved in the individual countries?  In addition to the time difference and language barrier, other countries don’t necessarily put the same priority on compliance as do locations in the US or EU.

Are the brokers in all locations being appropriately managed?  Do they have statements of work in place?  A request for quote (RFQ) should be conducted in order to strategically select a brokerage partner that fits your needs and values as a company. Once a service provider is selected, you should work with them to implement a statement of work that outlines specific procedures and applicable charges. Additionally, all customs brokers need to be vetted and should adhere to very strict anti-corruption policies.

The Key is Communication

Allyn has had great success operating through a series of weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the local client personnel and brokers.  These meetings keep higher priority items visible and keep the momentum of action items moving forward. 

These calls should address in-transit shipments and any existing compliance issues.  These calls have unequivocally reduced the customs clearance time in Africa and the Middle East. If no such process is put in place, shipments can take months to clear.

How Allyn Can Help

In addition to our Global HQ in the US, Allyn has teams in Russia, Asia, and the EMEA region that specialize in compliance needs for these tricky regions. Using Allyn will help ensure that you have a true global trade compliance structure in place. The result will be reduced risk for your company, as well as savings through increased efficiency and decreased clearance time.  

Structured involvement is at the very core of a truly global compliance program. Not having the time, expertise, and available resources is the roadblock for some companies. Allyn can step in and help can solve these issues; whether it is for a single project or ongoing support, Allyn provides your company a best-in-class solution at a reasonable price.  

If you would like more information on this or any other Global Trade Compliance matter, please contact Allyn at (239) 489-9900, or you can email our Global Trade Compliance Director at Dreckman.M@allynintl.com.