International trade and customs

Global trade has been the foundation of the historic growth and prosperity we enjoy today. With growth and prosperity comes risk involving the security of supply chains, the unpredictable application of import and export regulations, and varying degrees of customs law enforcement from one nation to another. All of these issues pose constant challenges to profitable international business activity.

In addition to these known and ongoing threats, disruptions to the supply chain have exposed weaknesses in the “Just In Time” (JIT) inventory management process. These issues require organizations to implement effective internal controls and well-documented compliance procedures to help ensure the cost-efficient transfer of goods.

KPMG draws upon a global network of international trade and customs professionals to help you navigate the uncertain global trade environment in a rapidly changing world. Applying our experience, we collaborate with your tax and supply chain teams to assist in addressing the actual and potential risks associated with global trade and cross-border transactions. The result: the ability to move goods internationally while mitigating customs risk and reducing duty and tax costs.

KPMG’s experienced international trade and customs professionals can work with you to develop effective international trade compliance strategies that align with your companies tax and supply chain vision to enhance your customs and global trade-related compliance, security and controls. Our services include:

KPMG works with clients to help minimize duties and mitigate the impact of import costs. Our skilled international trade and customs professionals employ proprietary technologies and tools to reduce import costs through simplifying duty recovery efforts, implementing duty deferral programs and establishing targeted duty drawback programs. This complete approach helps importers to minimize duty-spend and maximize duty recovery.

KPMG works with clients, employing a tactical approach to mitigate the costs of importation through:

• Tariff re-engineering
• Free trade agreement qualification and certification
• Identification of allowable valuation deductions
• Identification of other preferential import programs

Our foreign trade specialists apply in-depth experience in the area of international trade and customs strategies to help recover and minimize trade-related expenses, creating liquidity and allowing organizations to focus and utilize their valuable resources.

KPMG’s international trade and customs practice helps clients enhance their business operations by developing solutions that identify, manage and remediate international supply-chain risks. Our experienced professionals include former customs officers, customs brokers, lawyers, industry advocates and other professionals who help importers navigate the most complex international trade laws affecting organizations engaged in foreign trade

KPMG supports clients challenged by customs compliance requirements in Canada and internationally. Our international trade and customs specialists assist importers in developing their customs compliance program by addressing the key areas of tariff classification, origin and valuation, as well as taking advantage of duty relief programs and special tariff provisions to reduce import costs.

Prior to the first importation of goods, we can assist importers by providing:

• Classification advice
• Reviewing the application of preferential tariff treatments based on origin
• Identifying the appropriate valuation methodology
• Applying for customs rulings where certainty is required

Our professionals can also assist in the setup and maintenance of the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) Assessment Revenue Management (CARM) portal or the application for other importation programs, such as duty deferral or the container bank program. In addition, we can assist in identifying ways to reduce duties or streamline import processes by taking advantage of other programs such as the duties relief program, where applicable.

After importation, we can provide assistance in the areas of:

• Filing adjustments for corrections (such as transfer pricing adjustments)
• Audit/verification support
• Dispute resolution and litigation support before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT), Federal Court of Appeal (FCA), Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) or any other judicial bodies under which customs disputes are addressed.

Maintaining a compliant customs program that aligns with your tax and supply chain strategy is key to ensuring that no issues arise in your day-to-day international trade activity. Our foreign trade specialists can offer practical insights through:

• Conducting local and global compliance reviews
• Establishing target operating models and trade transformation frameworks
• Duty deferral/drawback health checks
• Applying for participation in trade security / trusted trader programs
• General and topic-specific training tailored to each client’s needs and abilities
• Assessing foreign trade compliance risks prior to mergers & acquisitions activity
• Providing post-deal integration support for managing daily activities post-merger

The global KPMG Trade & Customs network is a leader in SAP GTS and Oracle GTM implementations and has deep industry experience working with and implementing a variety of off-the-shelf global trade management solutions. The KPMG Trade & Customs network is uniquely positioned with both local trade subject matter professionals and automation specialists to help you to implement, integrate and grow your trade program. This means we are skilled at balancing the needs, and speaking the languages, of both IT and business.

Whether you need a comprehensive analysis of your trade profile to assess your needs and identify the solution, or a guide to assist you throughout the entire automation design and implementation process, KPMG’s experienced international trade and customs professionals can propel your business to the next level. This will allow your customs function to complement, and not hinder, your tax and supply chain strategies.

KPMG understands the stress that the complexities of international trade can place on your businesses, and the need to ensure resources are dedicated to higher priority functions. Our international trade and customs specialists have the global tax knowledge, industry experience and technical competencies to help implement processes and approaches that boost your company’s competitive advantage by allocating resources to the highest value tasks.

These strategies can include outsourcing repetitive trade activities including:

• Classification determination
• Free trade agreement solicitation or qualification
• Post-entry audit
• Valuation review and adjustments
• Restricted party screening
• Other tasks to meet your trade and supply chain compliance needs

KPMG works with businesses and organizations to identify cost-saving opportunities, manage compliance risks associated with global trade operations, improve efficiencies, and deliver value. Our experienced and innovative international trade and customs specialists are backed by a network of over 800 professionals in 80 countries, including industry professionals, customs brokers, certified import and export specialists, professionals with advanced degrees in business, economics, and international trade law, experienced trade technologists, data scientists, and former officials from customs and export authorities around the world.