 Import Export Compliance Conference 2007 - This Month!
GRVR Attorneys and the Export Import Law Institute invite you to attend the Import Export Compliance Conference 2007 on April 27, 2007 at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click here to register. Click on the graphic to the left of this paragraph to view a conference video.
Tour The Sahara Casino With Dan Navejas
Danny Navejas will lead a guided tour of the Sahara Hotel and Casino the night before the big conference. Mr. Navejas, an associate with GRVR Attorneys, acclaimed billiards player and a connoisseur of all things Las Vegas, will provide a quick tour of the casino and entertainment events. The tour starts at 8 pm at the hotel reservation desk. Mr. Navejas can be contacted at danieln@exportimportlaw.com or (734) 709-9976.
Conference Attendees Get Certicate Plus Conference Poster
Attendees to the Import Export Compliance Conference will receive a Certificate of Completion from GRVR Attorneys. Register before April 8 and receive a conference poster commissioned for this event.
Customs Brokers Get A C-TPAT Breather
Customs Brokers who are current members of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program were informed  that they had 90-days from December 31, 2006 to address the security measures outlined in the minimum-security criteria. However, based on some concerns voiced by members of the trade community, CBP extended the deadline to comply with the minimum-security criteria by an additional 30 days. Thus, existing member Customs Brokers will now have until May 2, 2007 to address all of the cited security areas.
Chiquita Banana To Pay $25 Million For Contracting Terrorists in Colombia
You know all those “bad persons” lists the Government is always telling you to check before exporting, importing, or doing business abroad? What happens if you don’t check? What happens if you check, find a match, and continue to do business with a terrorist group, ignoring warnings from your attorneys?
Would criminal indictment and a $25 million fine finally make you take notice?
Chiquita for years paid protection money to the violent, right-wing terrorist organization United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia – an English translation of the Spanish name of the group, "Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia" (commonly known as and referred to hereinafter as the "AUC"). The AUC had been designated by the U.S. government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization ("FTO") on Sept. 10, 2001, and as a Specially-Designated Global Terrorist ("SDGT") on Oct. 31, 2001. These designations made it a federal crime for Chiquita, as a U.S. corporation, to provide money to the AUC. In April 2003, Chiquita made a voluntary self-disclosure to the government of its payments to the AUC, giving rise to this investigation. Chiquita’s outside law firm warned Chiquita to stop doing business with the AUC, but Chiquita’s Board of Directors decided to continue paying the AUC even as they decided to disclose the payments to the Department of Justice.
“Like any criminal enterprise, a terrorist organization needs a funding stream to support its operations. For several years, the AUC terrorist group found one in the payments they demanded from Chiquita Brands International. Thanks to Chiquita's cooperation and this prosecution, that funding stream is now dry and corporations are on notice that they cannot make protection payments to terrorists," said Assistant Attorney General Wainstein.
The $25 million is part of a plea agreement between Chiquita and the US Department of Justice, and is subject to approval by US District Judge Royce Lamberth. Judge Lamberth could reject the plea agreement and could significantly increase the fine up to $100 million.
Take April’s International Trade Challenge
This month’s quiz involves bananas, corporate criminals, duties, trade agreements, and coughing. Click here to take the Quiz.
Quiz Correct Answers:
1. B
2. B
3. D
4. E
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. D
9. A
10. C
Your Grade (number right):
0-2 - Consider cheating next time
2-5 - Welcome to the international trade club
6-8 - Brilliant, well-informed and almost assuredly good-looking
9-10 - CNN junkie. You need to get out more
Deemed Exports, Export Penalties, NAFTA, and Importer Best Practices - Compliance Posters Now Available
A great way to raise trade compliance consciousness within your company  is through the use of compliance posters. Post the information in a central or well-traversed area, and your employees will get the message.
The popular “Export Penalties: Stairway to Hell” poster, has been updated to reflect changes in the law. The Deemed Export Rule poster, a new offering, avoids the technical jargon and simplifies the rule for easy consumption. Our C-TPAT posters (there are three) are also popular, including our “We Are Supply Chain Tough.” These posters help companies achieve employee awareness, as required by the C-TPAT guidelines.
GRVR Attorneys and EILI created compliance posters that are engaging, colorful, and easy to understand. Posters come in different sizes. We will also tailor a poster to fit your company’s unique identity. We can, for example, add your company’s logo or contact information.
Click here to view and order the posters.
Do-Gooder Corner: Paralegals Helping In Darfur
As a profession, paralegals do as much good, and probably much less harm, than attorn eys. Don’t believe us? See the outstanding work that paralegals for International Rescue Committee (IRC) are doing in Darfur. There are many other groups helping in Darfur, but they are too few. Your help is needed.
This is what the IRC does:
One of the first to respond, one of the last to leave. For more than 70 years, the International Rescue Committee has been a leader in humanitarian relief. We mobilize quickly, bringing sustained support to regions torn apart by violence and deprivation. We provide a fresh start in the U.S. for refugees. And we advocate tirelessly on behalf of the displaced, addressing the root causes of violence and standing up for the world’s most vulnerable populations.
International Rescue Committee
www.theirc.org
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