Import Compliance Services
Compliance isn't just about avoiding penalties. It's about paying the right amount — not a dollar more.
Book a Free ConsultationCompliance isn't just about avoiding penalties. It's about paying the right amount — not a dollar more.
Book a Free ConsultationUp from $79B in 2024 — a 234% increase driven by new tariffs on Chinese goods, expanded Section 301 actions, and the end of de minimis exemptions. More revenue means more enforcement resources dedicated to ensuring every dollar owed is collected.
CBP is deploying AI-powered targeting to identify importers with classification inconsistencies, valuation anomalies, and suspicious trade patterns. Focused Assessments and Quick Response Audits are increasing in both frequency and scope. The era of flying under the radar is over.
Classification errors are the single largest source of CBP penalties. An incorrect HTS code doesn't just mean paying the wrong duty rate — it can trigger audits, penalties of up to four times the unpaid duties, and enhanced scrutiny on all future shipments.
Penalties for negligent violations can reach four times the unpaid duties. Gross negligence can result in penalties equal to the domestic value of the merchandise. And fraud penalties have no cap. Beyond financial penalties, non-compliance can lead to loss of importing privileges entirely.
We review your entire product catalog against the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. We identify misclassifications that expose you to penalties and classifications that result in overpayment. Every product gets the right code — defensible, documented, and optimized.
Legal duty reduction is not aggressive tax planning — it's accurate classification and proper use of trade programs. We identify opportunities to reduce your duty spend through correct classification, applicable free trade agreements, tariff engineering, and duty drawback programs.
If CBP comes knocking, you need organized records, documented classification decisions, and evidence of a functioning compliance program. We prepare you by identifying exposure areas, organizing your import records for the prior five years, and remediating errors before CBP arrives.
Tariff rates change. Trade actions expand. PGA requirements evolve. We track every regulatory change that affects your products and notify you before your next shipment — not after you've already been assessed additional duties or penalties.
When classification or valuation errors are discovered, voluntary disclosure to CBP through a prior disclosure can significantly reduce penalties — often by 50% to 75% compared to penalties assessed after CBP discovers the error. We prepare and file prior disclosures on your behalf, quantify the duty exposure, and negotiate with CBP.
Claiming preferential duty rates under USMCA or other free trade agreements requires defensible documentation — certificates of origin, supplier declarations, and rules of origin analysis. We verify that your FTA claims are supported and defensible if CBP challenges them.
We audit your HTS classifications, review your entry data, analyze your valuation methods, and assess your overall compliance posture. We look at everything CBP would look at.
You receive a detailed report identifying classification errors, duty overpayments, compliance gaps, and penalty exposure. Every finding includes the specific risk, the financial impact, and the recommended correction.
We correct classification errors, file prior disclosures where appropriate, implement corrected duty rates on future entries, and update your compliance procedures to prevent recurrence.
Compliance is not a one-time event. We monitor tariff changes, new trade actions, and regulatory updates that affect your products. When something changes, we update your classifications and notify you.
FDA prior notice, FSVP compliance, import alert monitoring, and perishable hold response. We handle the regulatory complexity so your products clear the border.
Learn more →USMCA qualification, rules of origin documentation, and country-of-origin compliance for manufacturers moving production to Mexico.
Learn more →De minimis is gone. We get DTC brands through the transition to formal customs entry — with modern tools, flat pricing, and fast onboarding.
Learn more →Import compliance is the practice of ensuring that all imported goods meet U.S. customs laws, regulations, and trade requirements. It encompasses accurate tariff classification, proper valuation, correct country-of-origin declarations, adherence to trade agreement rules, and compliance with Partner Government Agency (PGA) regulations. Import compliance is not optional — CBP holds importers legally responsible for the accuracy of every entry filed on their behalf, under a framework called "reasonable care." Failure to exercise reasonable care can result in penalties, seizures, and loss of importing privileges.
At minimum, you should review your HTS classifications annually. However, a classification audit is also warranted whenever you introduce new products, change suppliers or manufacturing processes, source from a different country of origin, or when tariff rates change due to trade actions such as Section 301 tariffs or anti-dumping duties. In the current tariff environment, where rates are changing rapidly and CBP enforcement is intensifying, quarterly reviews are recommended for importers with diverse product catalogs.
A CBP audit — formally called a Focused Assessment or Quick Response Audit — examines your import records, classification practices, valuation methods, and compliance procedures. CBP can audit entries going back five years. If the audit finds errors, penalties can reach up to four times the unpaid duties for negligence, or up to the domestic value of the goods for fraud. The best defense is preparation: organized records, documented classification decisions, and evidence of a functioning compliance program. Greenwich Mercantile prepares importers for CBP audits by identifying exposure areas, organizing records, and remediating errors before CBP arrives.
Yes — often significantly. Many importers overpay duties because of incorrect HTS classifications, failure to claim applicable trade agreement preferences, or not utilizing duty drawback programs. A compliance review can identify legal duty reduction opportunities that directly lower your landed cost. We regularly find classification errors that result in importers paying duty rates 5% to 25% higher than necessary. On a $1 million annual import spend, even a 3% duty rate correction translates to $30,000 in annual savings.
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll review your classifications, identify duty reduction opportunities, and assess your penalty exposure — before CBP does.
Book a Free Consultation