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Staying competitive in a commercial environment requires efficient overseas trading like never before. International trade unlocks more markets and opportunities for a business’s success, but it is also highly regulated. A multitude of commercial agreements, sanctions, and treaties control the flow of goods between nations and the financial transactions behind them.

Global trade law is a complicated and continuously changing collection of regulations. Every country can and does regularly adjust its trade laws–including new embargos, sanctions, or tariffs.

Each of the tens of millions of international transactions made daily must abide by the current laws or risk suffering heavy penalties. Unwitting violations are bound to happen in a system so complex, but a robust trade compliance program will both minimize the risk and equip your company to handle the situation if one does develop.

The use of international sanctions as a political instrument go as far back as the Megarian decree in ancient Athens, which limited trade to neighboring Megara in 432 BC. Like this ancient example, modern nations also leverage the economy as a tool in foreign policy through the use of sanctions.

Do your controlled export operations feel wrapped in red tape and hopelessly non-compliant? Is your organization struggling to find the balance efficiency with the resource-consuming demands of meticulous record-keeping, screening, and security processes? Is your company losing business due to a perceived lack of trade compliance? Are you risking compliance violations because you don’t have an auditable trail of who has access to what and when? 

Headlines like ‘global supply chain disruption’ continue to infiltrate the news. 

Finding the balance between supply and demand has always been logistically challenging for startups and enterprises alike. Keeping just the right amount of inventory on hand and restocking at the perfect moment is an intricate dance with countless steps and uncontrollable variables. This was true even before the pandemic. 

What can your organization do to boost security, heighten awareness, and be more selective about who gains access to your premises? Let’s discuss three fundamental ways your organization can mitigate security risks. Before we dive in, we’ll zoom in on the threat at hand – people.

Ready to expand business beyond borders and break into offshore markets?

It’s a big decision with huge financial repercussions. An offshore endeavor has the potential to bankrupt a company or deliver unprecedented profits. Is it possible to make such a risky move safely?

Getting started in the global trade world requires significant monetary investment and sweat equity. The import and export business is far more complex than domestic ventures and typically comes with a considerable learning curve. Staying in global trade demands keeping up with pages and pages worth of regulations – which inevitably vary from country to country – and complying with these laws.

While most companies make an effort to adhere to trade law, not all compliance programs are created equal. An average program may be designed to avoid legal penalties, but the best programs proactively work for their companies to save resources, revenue, and time. 

Proper compliance is a pillar of international trade. Every country, province, and state has its own unique set of laws governing compliance, which must be adhered to.

Failure to comply with trade laws goes far beyond delays in getting paid or not receiving the required goods.