Our experience and expertise. Your global trade success.

Trade Consulting Services

International trade is complex.Getting a handle on it doesn’t have to be.Livingston’s customs and trade experts can

help you establish your compliance and take

advantage of money-saving opportunities to

grow your business internationally.

Livingston’s customs and trade experts can help you establish

your compliance and take advantage of money-saving

opportunities to grow your business internationally.

A reliable import/export compliance program is critical for any company involved in international trade. Regulatory authorities are increasing their focus on compliance audits across industries, making the setup and maintenance of a compliant trade program critical. With the proper processes in place, you can reduce risk, enhance your reputation with customs authorities and improve your supply chain efficiency.

Livingston can help. We have a long and successful history of helping clients meet the demanding requirements of international trade. We can help you tackle the most complex trade issues, from valuation and tariff classification to voluntary and prior disclosures, appeals and more, freeing up your time and resources so you can focus on what’s most important – your business.

Our customs and regulatory experts are available to help you establish and maintain trade compliance programs, meet audit requirements, recover duties and taxes and manage border security. With a reliable import/export compliance program in place, you’ll realize an improved reputation with authorities, see fewer border delays and have better access to enhanced government programs.

Trade Consulting Services 3

Stay compliant. Grow your business

Today’s business leaders

are among the very best

at launching fast-growing

companies. Sustaining that

growth is another matter.

Simplify the complex

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When you’re dealing with supply chain partners in multiple countries with constantly-evolving regulatory requirements, keeping track of every last detail can tie-up a large chunk of time and resources. If you don’t pay attention to those details, you may be looking at delays and fines that can bring your business to a standstill and erode your bottom line.

Managing your global trade processes is no easy task.

We have a long and successful

history of helping clients meet

the demanding requirements

of international trade.

Trade Consulting Services 5

Compliance programs

Livingston offers a number of compliance programs for both importers and exporters. Each of these programs is similar in that their goal is to assess our clients’ compliance, develop a plan to improve it and then implement that plan.

Our team can assist you with a number of services:

Compliance assessmentsAvoid penalties and errors by simulating a complete customs audit or a high-level review. Our review will uncover any compliance issues and areas of concern.

Process and internal control designDevelop compliance manuals, internal processes and standard operating procedures that are customized to your needs and designed to help achieve compliance with regulatory obligations and corporate governance requirements.

Value determinationNavigate various valuation rules and determine an accurate valuation for your goods, all while creating the necessary audit trail and documentation to support the valuation.

Voluntary and prior disclosures and appealsReview compliance concerns and prepare complete and accurate reporting of any errors or omissions.

Audits and audit assistancePrepare for an audit and get expert support throughout the entire auditing process.

Post-transaction auditsInstitute a post-transaction process to ensure that all of your import/export transactions meet regulatory requirements.

International trade compliance

“Compliance is critical in today’s global trade environment. Our goal is to help our clients achieve the highest standard of compliance by assessing, planning and implementing programs that fit each client’s unique needs. This allows them to reduce risk, save money, and keep trade moving.”

Cora Di Pietro Vice-President, Canadian Trade Consulting

International trade compliance

Livingston has the resources and expertise to

handle your exports to the world, working as

a trusted export operations partner.

Export controls

With multimillion-dollar penalties being issued to exporters worldwide, having a solid understanding of export controls and a documented export compliance program are critical. Livingston export control solutions include an accurate, auditable methodology for jurisdiction determination and assistance with export licensing for companies that are exporting out of North America and Europe.

Jurisdiction determinationOur experts analyze and classify products, services and technology according to their characteristics and end-use, helping you determine which government agency has jurisdiction.

Export licensing assistanceOur experts can assist you with the following aspects of export licensing: exemptions, exceptions, license application, license acquisition, proper execution and tracking.

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Classification services

Accurate tariff code classification is critical to maintaining regulatory compliance. Livingston classification services determine the proper Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) or Export Control Classification Number (ECCN). We analyze the function, form and composition of the product and use appropriate tools and processes to determine the accurate classification and provide a complete audit trail. Our experts can research rulings or assist you in obtaining a ruling. We can also help with Commodity Classification Automated Tracking System (CCATS) ECCN requests and commodity jurisdiction determination requests.

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Accurate and compliant

classification of your products

provides the opportunity to

take advantage of preferential

duty rates.

International trade agreements and special trade programs

We can help you identify and take advantage of preferential rates, reduce duty and manage free trade agreements. We have expertise in twenty-seven free trade programs and offer a full suite of services to qualify clients for preferred duty rates and to help manage participation in international trade agreements.

Certificate of origin solicitationWe manage the process of soliciting your suppliers for their certificates of origin and use reporting tools to monitor responsiveness.

Origin determinationWe provide a comprehensive analysis of your product suite to determine eligibility for free trade agreement certification. Our experts provide you with a standardized process for the receipt, review and analysis in determining eligibility of goods for a free trade agreement or special trade program.

Vendor origin verificationOur experts validate the statement of origin provided by your vendors to ensure that the products meet the applicable rules of origin.

Customized training and support services

We offer short-term and long-term technical support services to help clients address highly complex issues or extraordinary events outside of their regular trade practices. In addition to our public seminar and webinar series, Livingston provides customized training according to specific client needs.

Customized training Our presenters and subject matter experts create and deliver training that is customized to specific needs and can cover any topic – as general, as technical or as strategic as needed.

Support servicesWe can offer technically-skilled customs professionals – often at a very short notice – for either short-term or long-term assignments.

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International trade compliance

Increase earnings. Manage your taxes and duty payments the right way. Your margins are tight, and every dollar

you can count towards your bottom line

matters. The opportunity to recover and

reclaim duty and tax overpayments is one

you can’t afford to miss.

Financial recovery

Livingston helps analyze your customs import and export entries and identify refund opportunities in the areas of classification, free trade agreements, valuation rulings and remissions. We will conduct a systematic and comprehensive review of your business records, with a focus on payments made in a variety of areas, and help you improve your bottom line.

Our experienced specialists have recovered millions of dollars for our clients through the following services:

Duty drawbackReclaim duty payments on imported merchandise that is re-exported.

Duty recoveryFind opportunities in valuation, origin and classification to recover duties paid.

Canadian commodity tax recoveryConduct a systematic analysis of your financial records, focusing on commodity tax payments made to provincial or federal governments.

Tax and recovery services

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Canadian GST services

Livingston qualified tax specialists provide Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) services for Canadian Non-Resident Importers (NRIs) and help clients understand how to use GST direct billing services.

GST direct billingLivingston’s GST direct billing service helps Canadian consignees or importers handle the payment of taxes on their imports.

GST/HST services for Canadian NRIsLivingston GST/HST specialists help NRIs navigate the complexities of Canada’s GST/HST programs, pay the correct tax amounts and meet tax law obligations.

Trade Consulting Services 11

“There’s nothing more satisfying than presenting a case to a CEO or CFO that shows them how they can get back thousands – sometimes hundreds of thousands – of dollars following a duty recovery or duty drawback exercise.”

Susan Pomerantz Executive Director, U.S. Trade Consulting

Supply chain safety and security

The benefits of participating in supply chain security programs like the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) in the United States, Partners in Protection (PIP) in Canada, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) in Europe or Nuevo Esquema de Empresas Certificadas (NEEC) in Mexico are significant. Our consultants were among the first to help companies apply for these programs, and we’ve helped hundreds of companies manage the application process and receive approval.

Our comprehensive supply chain security services will help you assess your ability to meet program requirements; identify gaps and areas for improvement; provide the support and guidance you need to complete the application process; and validate your suppliers’ security efforts within your supply chain.

We can help you manage the following supply chain security program areas:

Program applicationsEnhance your reputation with customs authorities as a secure, low-risk company focusing on self-policing rather than customs verification. We’ll guide you through the entire submission process.

Supplier validationEnsure that you and your trade partners are meeting the requirements to maintain your membership status. We’ll communicate with your suppliers and help you develop an ongoing process to obtain, store and validate data about your suppliers’ membership.

Supply chain security

“Supply chain security programs show customs authorities that you’re a trustworthy trade partner -that you’ve got consistent, repeatable levels of compliance and security throughout your organization.

Liz Lorincz Director, Eastern Region, Trade Consulting

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Reduce risk throughout your supply chain with trusted trader status.What is improved security and a stronger

reputation worth to you? Supply chain

security program certifications can lead to

better security levels, reduced inspections

and quicker movement of goods around

the world.

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Why choose Livingston? Global capabilities

Global coverageWe have the trained customs and compliance professionals that can meet all of your customs and compliance needs. With over 300 consulting professionals across North America, Europe and Asia, we can solve your compliance needs at home and abroad.

Better serviceNo one has a broader range of trade specialists. Our client service teams make it their business to gain a deep understanding of your business and your products.

Smarter solutionsLivingston is the market leader in customs and compliance expertise. We know about regulatory changes that will impact you, years before they come into effect, and have one of the broadest ranges of consulting services to meet your compliance needs. We do it all: tariff classification, valuation, disclosures, compliance review, free trade validation, duty drawback and more.

Trade Consulting Services 4

Global capabilities

MexicoWe offer tailored solutions for the maquiladora industry and our global trade management solutions for Mexico manage your entire process along the U.S./Mexican border whether you’re going northbound or southbound. We become a partner with your business and directly manage part, or all of the functions that a typical customs department would handle for you. We’ll coordinate with all the third-party suppliers needed along the border, including warehousing, drayage, Mexican customs brokerage, U.S. customs brokerage and freight forwarding, so that both you and your suppliers have just one single point of contact. Use our strategic partnerships, experience, strict process controls and worldwide locations to your advantage so you can start seeing real cost savings in your company.

EuropeWe’re experts in trade compliance and have extensive experience helping companies operating in Europe develop risk mitigation processes. Our trade consulting services include export assessments, compliance improvement programs, the design of processes and procedures, product jurisdiction and classification, documentation content and resource compliance, and awareness courses. We help our clients reach a level of sustainable regulatory compliance by understanding their business, developing solutions that are tailored to their needs and providing support on legislation and regulatory control topics that affect their business flows.

AsiaWe have expanded our global footprint by opening local offices to service Asia. Our Hong Kong-based team offers support for import and export operations and compliance, including import and export license determination and application, duty management and product classification. We oversee our clients’ daily import and export processes and even manage third party brokers and freight forwarders, ensuring that performance metrics meet established service level objectives. Our trade compliance support service is unique in Asia Pacific as it helps companies to improve trade operations and reduce risk.

Simplify the complex

Contact Livingston

Have questions or need help with your

shipments? Contact your account executive,

write to us at: simplify@livingstonintl.com

or give us a call at 1-800-837-1063

www.livingstonintl.com © 2015 Livingston International

Compliance programs

Export controls

Classification services

International trade compliance and special trade agreements

Financial recovery

Canadian GST services

Supply chain safety and security

Global capabilities