Archive for Export Compliance Program

Export On-Demand Webinar Series Part Three: Shipment Screening & Documentation

July 23, 2012 Caroline Amber Road, Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Export On-Demand, Global Trade Management Software, Shipment Documentation, Shipment Screening, Trade Compliance Software, Webinars No comments

Is your company struggling with the task of installing an Export Compliance Program (ECP)? We can help! This Wednesday, July 25, catch the third installment of Amber Road’s export compliance webinar series. Broadcasting live at 2pm EST, this webinar will show you how Export On-Demand can help with Shipment Screening & Documentation.

The first two webinars in the series covered the first two steps a company should take when building an ECP: Restricted Party Screening and Product Classification. Once centralized data management and RPS programs have been established, companies can use Export On-Demand to:

  • Process an order
  • Create pre-mapped shipping documents
  • File with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Automated Export System (AES)
  • Screen shipments to manage and react to changes in the supply chain in a timely manner

Webinar Presenters:

  • Steve Keighley, Solutions Consultant, Amber Road
  • Scott Byrnes, VP of Marketing, Amber Road

Don’t miss the final webinar of the series. Register today!

ZTE Probed by FBI over Iran Tech Deals

July 17, 2012 Caroline Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Restricted Party Screening, Trade Compliance No comments

The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into ZTE Corp’s sale of banned US computer equipment to Iran. ZTE is China’s second-largest telecom equipment maker and the world’s fourth largest mobile device maker. The investigation stems from a Reuter’s report in March, stating that ZTE sold surveillance systems to Iran’s largest telecommunication firm.

The packing list from the shipment included hardware and software from some of America’s largest and best-known tech companies, including Microsoft Corp, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Cisco Systems, Dell, and Symantec Corp. U.S. sanctions on Iran prohibit any sale of such equipment. What’s worse is that general counsel from ZTE’s U.S. subsidiary in Texas revealed that ZTE officials “had discussed shredding documents, altering the packing list, and denying it was genuine in an effort to subvert a Department of Commerce investigation.”

In addition to the probe by both the FBI and the Department of Commerce, ZTE is also under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee over whether its equipment presents a threat to national security.

 To read the full article, please click here.

Engaging in business with companies that deal with sanctioned countries (or entities) violates U.S. government trade rules and regulations; therefore, it is important to effectively screen against restricted parties to ensure compliance.

Find out how Amber Road’s RPS On-Demand solution can help your company ensure compliance by automating the screening process – download the brochure.

ING Bank N.V. Agrees to Forfeit $619 Million for Illegal Transactions with Cuban and Iranian Entities

June 18, 2012 Caroline Denied Party, Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Restricted Party Screening, Trade Compliance, Trade Compliance Software, Trade Regulations No comments

According to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), ING Bank N.V. has agreed to forfeit $619 million to the Justice Department and the New York County District Attorney’s Office for illegally moving billions of dollars through the US financial system on behalf of Cuban and Iranian sanctioned entities. ING Bank is held responsible for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), as well as violating New York state laws by illegally moving over $2 billion dollars through the US financial systems via more than 20,000 transactions between the early 1990s and 2007. This fine is the largest ever against a bank in connection with an investigation into US sanctions violations.

ING Bank executed this scheme through tactics including:

- eliminating payment data that would have revealed the involvement of sanctioned countries and entities

- advising sanctioned clients on how to conceal their involvement in U.S. dollar transactions

- threatening to punish certain employees if they failed to take specified steps to remove references to sanctioned entities in payment messages

Most upsetting is that these illegal activities occurred with the knowledge and encouragement of members of both the legal and compliance departments.

The bank has also entered a parallel settlement agreement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). As part of the agreement, ING will be required to conduct a full review of its policies and procedures to ensure that its compliance program is functioning effectively.

To read the entire Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) press release, click here.

For information on Amber Road’s Restricted Party Screening solution, which enables companies to automate the screening process, click here.

 

Survey of Mid-Market Companies Highlights Good News/Bad News for U.S. Exporters

May 1, 2012 Caroline Amber Road, Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Press Release, Restricted Party Screening No comments

A new white paper released today by Amber Road found that mid-market companies are increasingly at risk for violating U.S. export regulations. This is especially concerning because U.S. export volumes are on the rise. According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, U.S. exports grew 7.7% from January 2011 to January 2012.

Amber Road surveyed 150 mid-market companies about their export compliance processes. They found that 23% do not screen for restricted parties prior to engaging with trading partners and customers, and only 41% have a comprehensive export compliance program in place. Not surprisingly, survey respondents pointed to a lack of executive sponsorship as a primary reason for their companies’ trade compliance deficiencies.

To learn more, read the full press release, or download a copy of the white paper.

British Businessman Extradited to the U.S. to Face Export Violation Charges

March 19, 2012 Caroline Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Export Controls, Trade Compliance No comments

After losing an appeal in British courts, Christopher Tappin was extradited from the U.K. and brought to the U.S. on February 24th. Mr. Tappin, a British businessman, faces charges in connection with a scheme to illegally export parts used in Hawk surface-to-air missile systems to Iran.  On March 5th, a United States federal grand jury indictment was handed down.  Mr. Tappin was charged with one count each for: conspiracy to illegally export defense articles, aiding and abetting the illegal export of defense articles, and conspiracy to conduct illegal financial transactions. If convicted, Mr. Tappin faces up to 20 years in prison.

Mr. Tappin was investigated by The Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  ICE established a front company for the purpose of detecting potential illegal exports.  U.S. authorities allege that an associate of Mr. Tappin dealt with the front company to purchase items which were then exported to Iran via the Netherlands.

To read more about this case, click here.

This case illustrates the extent to which the U.S. government will go to convict people (and companies) that commit export violations.  It further demonstrates that anyone can be extradited and charged for violations of U.S. export control laws, regardless of their place of residency, and even if there are no equivalent laws in their country of citizenship.

Ensuring compliance with government export rules and regulations is a complex process.  Effectively screening against restricted party lists, determining license requirements, and generating the necessary documentation for a shipment is often a challenge for exporters.

Learn how your company can automate (and simplify) these complex processes.  Check out Amber Road’s Trade Export brochure.

New Trade Enforcement Agency Established

March 12, 2012 Caroline Amber Road, Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Export Controls, Foreign Trade Barriers, Interagency Trade Enforcement Center, National Export Initiative, Regulatory Compliance, Trade Agreements, Trade Compliance, Trade Regulations No comments

President Obama recently signed an executive order, establishing the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) within the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).  The Obama administration is aimed at doubling exports by the year 2015, and this new agency will help facilitate that goal.

According to Ron Kirk, Ambassador of USTR, the ITEC is among the most significant commitment of resources and expertise since the establishment of the USTR. The purpose of the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center will be to coordinate U.S. trade rights under international agreements, monitor unfair trade practices, as well as identify and eliminate foreign trade barriers. These tasks will hopefully curb the production of counterfeit and unsafe goods and improve market access for U.S. exporters. The ITEC will also strengthen trade enforcement of intellectual property laws.

Chairman of the House Trade Working Group, Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine), said, “Signing this order brings us one more important step closer to the level of trade enforcement we need to counter the predatory practices of countries like China.”

Based on the signed executive order, the mission and function of The Interagency Trade Enforcement Center will be to:

(a) serve as the primary forum within the Federal Government for USTR and other agencies to coordinate enforcement of U.S. trade rights under international trade agreements and enforcement of domestic trade laws;

(b) coordinate among USTR, other agencies with trade related responsibilities, and the U.S. Intelligence Community the exchange of information related to potential violations of international trade agreements by our foreign trade partners; and

(c) conduct outreach to U.S. workers, businesses, and other interested persons to foster greater participation in the identification and reduction or elimination of foreign trade barriers and unfair foreign trade practices.

Upcoming Trade Compliance Webinar

February 8, 2012 Caroline Amber Road, Denied Party, Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Global Trade Management Software, Import Compliance, Landed Cost Calculation, Management Dynamics, Product Classification, Restricted Party Screening, Trade Compliance, Trade Compliance Software, Trade Wizards, TradeWizards.com, Webinars No comments

Join Amber Road on Wednesday, February 22nd at 2:00pm EST, for a complimentary webinar showcasing TradeWizards.com, a new cloud-based portal that enables companies to classify products, calculate duties and taxes, and screen for restricted parties…for FREE!

During the “TradeWizards.com: Answers to Your Tough Trade Questions” webinar, industry experts will review the challenges companies are facing when it comes to importing and exporting, and show you how TradeWizards.com can help combat those challenges.

Speakers will include:
Scott Byrnes, Vice President of Marketing, Amber Road
Steve Keighley, Solutions Consultant, Amber Road

Join us to learn how TradeWizards.com can help you tackle your compliance challenges. Register today!

 

Last Chance to Register for Tomorrow’s Export Compliance Webinar

November 17, 2011 Caroline Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Export On-Demand, Global Trade Management, Global Trade Management Software, Shipment Documentation, Shipment Screening, Trade Compliance Software, Webinars No comments

Part Three: Shipment Screening & Documentation

The third and final webinar in this series will be held on Friday, November 18th at 2:00pm EST and will review Shipment Screening and Documentation, the final step in building an Export Compliance Program.

During this webinar, we will discuss key best practices related to automating your export compliance process, including:

  • The importance of transactional screening and why it is a necessary requirement in any compliance program
  • How managing product compliance details can help validate the data used on export documentation and reduce delays at the border
  • How to leverage the data from the export order to automatically determine and create key export documents and file directly with AES

Speakers will include:
Suzanne Richer, President, Customs & Trade Solutions, Inc.
Sanjeev Williams, Product Manager, Amber Road (formerly Management Dynamics)

Register today and learn how you can take the final step in establishing an Export Compliance Program!

Upcoming Export Compliance Webinar Series

November 8, 2011 Caroline Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Export On-Demand, Global Trade Management, Global Trade Management Software, Shipment Documentation, Shipment Screening, Trade Compliance, Trade Compliance Software, Trade Compliance Solutions, Webinars No comments

Part Three: Shipment Screening & Documentation

Join Customs & Trade Solutions, Inc. and Management Dynamics for a complimentary three-part Export Compliance Webinar Series, which will address the three key steps of any Export Compliance Program (ECP): Restricted Party Screening, Product Classification, and Shipment Screening and Documentation.

The third and final webinar in this series will be held on Friday, November 18th at 2:00pm EST and will review Shipment Screening and Documentation, the final step in building an export compliance program.

During this webinar, we will discuss key best practices related to automating your export compliance process, including:

  • The importance of transactional screening and why it is a necessary requirement in any compliance program
  • How managing product compliance details can help validate the data used on export documentation and reduce delays at the border
  • How to leverage the data from the export order to automatically determine and create key export documents and file directly with AES

Speakers will include:
Suzanne Richer, President, Customs & Trade Solutions, Inc.
Sanjeev Williams, Product Manager, Management Dynamics

Join us to learn how you can take the next step in establishing an Export Compliance Program!

Export Compliance Webinar Series

October 13, 2011 Caroline Export Compliance, Export Compliance Program, Global Trade Management Software, Harmonized Systems, Product Classification, Trade Compliance Software, Trade Compliance Solutions, Webinars No comments

Part Two: Product Classification

Join Customs & Trade Solutions, Inc. and Management Dynamics for a complimentary three-part Export Compliance Webinar Series, which will address the three key steps of any Export Compliance Program (ECP): Restricted Party Screening, Product Classification, and Shipment Screening and Documentation.

The second webinar will be held on Friday, October 21st at 2:00pm EDT and will review Product Classification; the second step in building an export compliance program.

During this webinar, we will discuss the advantages of maintaining your own product classification database, as well as:

  • Automation tools that can help your business save valuable time and reduce cost
  • Up-to-date global trade content that can increase efficiency and decrease your risk in the case of an audit
  • Product Classification best practices for sustaining these processes as your company’s global reach and product lines grow

Speakers will include:
Suzanne Richer, President, Customs & Trade Solutions, Inc.
Sanjeev Williams, Product Manager, Management Dynamics

Register for the webinar today!

Mark your calendars for the final webinar in this series!
Shipment Screening & Documentation: Friday, November 18

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