Steptoe provides clients with an integrated approach to strategic customs planning and compliance. The leading legal directories, including Chambers & Partners, consistently recognize Steptoe with their highest rankings, and Law360 has honored Steptoe five times as an "International Trade Group of the Year." With more than 35 international trade lawyers in Washington, London, and Brussels, we regularly advise Fortune 500 companies and non-US entities on how to secure their international trade objectives when import and export shipments are cleared through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Each time a company sends a shipment to the United States, there can be multiple import compliance requirements that apply. For each and every shipment, US law requires the importer to have researched all the applicable requirements, up to a level described in the law as using "reasonable care." In addition, as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CBP requires companies to pay close attention to the physical security of their supply chain and import shipments. These security obligations may add to compliance requirements and always exist regardless of whether any import duties are due.
Steptoe counsels importers regarding all aspects of compliance with this increasingly complex regulatory regime:
- Classification
- Supply Chain Issues (including compliance with Withhold Release Orders)
- Valuation
- Country of origin declaration and marking requirements
- Proper declaration of antidumping and countervailing duty goods
- Duty reduction programs (NAFTA, GSP, KORUS, US-Israel, MTB, etc.)
- American goods returned
- Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)
- Brokers and POAs
- Surety bonds
- Prior disclosures to protect against penalties for errors
- Binding rulings
- Protests and appeals
- Defense Against Penalty cases
- Focused assessments and other CBP audits
We also help clients respond to CBP notices of action and enforcement, (including forfeiture cases), conduct internal compliance reviews, and prepare compliance manuals and internal operating procedures and advisory opinions. Steptoe advised clients involved in some of the first audits under the Customs Modernization Act and since then has continued to expand its substantial experience by ensuring clients have adequate compliance systems that are capable of meeting long-standing import and export requirements as well as the increasingly-important security standards under US customs law.
Noteworthy
Chambers Global
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Global Market Leaders (2008-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, (The Elite), US (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, US (2020-2025)
- Chambers Global, Disputes, International & Cross-Border Capabilities, US (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, US (2020-2025)
- Chambers Global, International & Cross-Border Disputes (International Firms), China (2021-2024)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO (International Firms), China (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe-wide (2019-2024)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2017)
Chambers Asia-Pacific & Greater China Region
- Chambers Greater China Region, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms) (2022-2023)
- Chambers Greater China Region, International Trade/WTO (International Firms) (2022-2024)
- Chambers Asia-Pacific, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2009-2025)
Chambers Europe
- Chambers Europe, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2023)
Chambers USA
- Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade, Nationwide (2005-2016)
- Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Enforcement, Nationwide (2022)
Legal 500
- Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2007-2022, 2024)
- Legal 500 US, Government: Government Contracts (2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: Customs, Export Controls, & Economic Sanctions (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: CFIUS (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2010-2023)
- Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: Public International Law (2010-2023)
- Legal 500 EMEA, Customs, Trade, WTO & Anti-Dumping, Belgium (2011-2019, 2022)
Law360
- Law360, International Trade Group of the Year (2010-2013, 2015, 2019)
Global Arbitration Review
- Global Arbitration Review, "International arbitration practice that impressed in the past year," (2016)
- Global Arbitration Review, GAR 100 (2017-2023)
Global Investigations Review
- Global Investigations Review (GIR) 100, Top 30 Firms for Investigations Worldwide (2015-2024)
WorldECR
- WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018, 2021), Sanctions Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017);
- WorldECR, Export Controls, Law Firm of the Year, USA (2015-2016), Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017), Runner-Up Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018)
- WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year Runner-Up, Rest of the World (2021)
Asia Legal Business
- ALB China Awards, International Firm of the Year: International Trade (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2022-2024)
- ALB China Awards, Regulatory Compliance Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2022-2024)
- ALB Hong Kong Awards, Regulation and Investigations Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2020-2021, 2023)
- ALB Japan Awards, Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2023-2024)
- ALB Korea Awards, Korea Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (2022-2023)
China Business Law Journal
- China Business Law Award, International Trade (2013-2023)
- China Business Law Award, Corporate Compliance (2019-2023)
- China Business Law Award, Government and public policy (2022)
- China Business Law Award, Anti-Bribery & Compliance (2015, 2018)
China Law & Practice
-
China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Dispute Resolution, Honorable Mention (2024)
- China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Trade Award (2016, 2018-2020, 2022); Shortlisted (2021)
- China Law & Practice, Shortlisted, International Firm of the Year: Regulatory & Compliance (2018, 2021-2022)
News & Publications
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
Important Updates to President Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs
April 17, 2025
By: Eric C. Emerson, Kevin Garvey, Zhu (Judy) Wang, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Christopher Forsgren, Santiago Gomez Cifuentes, Meghan Pearce
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
President Trump Unveils New Reciprocal Tariffs on 'Liberation Day'
April 8, 2025
Client Alerts
President Trump Announces Long-Anticipated Reciprocal Tariffs on "Liberation Day"
April 3, 2025
By: Eric C. Emerson, Kevin Garvey, Zhu (Judy) Wang, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Christopher Forsgren, Santiago Gomez Cifuentes, Meghan Pearce
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
March 31, 2025
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
Updated: An Overview of President Trump's Executive Orders on Tariffs
March 19, 2025
Events
Webinars
The Steptoe Update: US, EU, and UK Legal Developments Affecting Asian Companies and Public Actors
December 11, 2024
Speakers: Lee Berger, Eric C. Emerson, Jack R. Hayes, Charles Whiddington
Seminars & Events
Brussels Symposium and Cocktail Reception
November 12, 2024
Speakers: Ruxandra Cana, Eric C. Emerson, Tyler Evans, Anne-Gabrielle Haie, Robert Klotz, Patrick F. Linehan, Byron Maniatis, Eva Monard, Eléonore Mullier, Daniel A. Mullen, Darryl Nirenberg, Meredith Rathbone, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Charles Whiddington, Wendy Wysong
Seminars & Events
Brexit and the Chemical Sector
March 3, 2020
Speakers: Ruxandra Cana, Darren Abrahams, Yongqing Bao
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel and Conference Center
Hugo-Eckner-Ring 15
Frankfurt, Germany
Seminars & Events
Brexit and Customs Preparedness
February 26, 2019
Brewer's Hall
Aldermanbury Square
London EC2V 7HR
Webinars
The US-China Trade Relationship
August 28, 2018
Speakers: Eric C. Emerson, Gregory S. McCue, Leslie A. Belcher, Henry Cao
Resources
Client Alerts
New Orders Issued Barring Imports into the US from Certain Xinjiang-Related Entities
September 18, 2020
Client Alerts
US Weighs Further Xinjiang-Related Enforcement, Including Cotton Import Ban
September 9, 2020
By: Meredith Rathbone, Gregory S. McCue, Wendy Wysong, Ali Burney
