Navigating Global Trade Compliance: Key Insights from the New England ICPA Data Group Webinar

BITE Data hosted a New England-area ICPA, Inc — International Compliance Professionals Association DATA Group Webinar last week, where we had great turnout, and excellent input from our two guest speakers on the global trade compliance issues of the day!

Sean Carlissimo (Miles & Stockbridge; former U.S. State Department, Office of the Legal Adviser) explains the State Department’s role across the sanctions lifecycle — from building programs and designations to licensing, waivers, and international coordination (Syria used as a case study).
Ruta Riley (Founder & Managing Partner, Onelex Partners) shares import/tariff mitigation strategies that actually hold up in audits — what works, what to watch, and how to balance savings with risk and admin lift (deep dives on the First Sale Rule and Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB)).

Key takeaways:
1. State’s role in sanctions: program inception (E.O.s & statutes), joint/exclusive designation authority, licensing input, waiver authority, and UN/bilateral engagement.

2. Licensing & waivers: where State shapes general/specific licenses and how waiver authority is used to meet foreign policy/national security objectives.

3. Tariff mitigation menu: reclassification (done holistically), supply-chain restructuring, FTZs/bonded warehouses, FTAs (admin heavy), duty drawback, carnets, Section 232 exclusions, First Sale Rule (high scrutiny; document everything), and TIB (R&D/testing/transit; re-export or destroy).

4. Recent updates flagged: new Section 232 actions on certain timber/engineered wood; BIS additions to the Entity List (incl. addresses); “affiliates rule” ownership aggregation; WRO on bicycle parts from Giant Manufacturing (Taiwan); recent OFAC designations — keep continuous screening tight.

For a full recording of the webinar, please check out our YouTube channel here: Link


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Tags: Denied Party Screening; Restricted Party Screening; Import/Export Flags; Customs Flags and Classification; OFAC / SDN - Office of Foreign Assets Control - Specially Designated Nationals; SAM.gov Entity Exclusions; HHS - List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE); Global Trade Alerts; FDA Import Alerts; U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2025); U.S. Anti Dumping Duty Orders mapped to HS Codes; PGA Codes - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; PGA Codes - National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries); PGA Codes - Food and Drug Administration; Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI); Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES); Ineligible Firms and Individuals; Wikidata Politically Exposed Persons; Colombian PEP Declarations; French National Assembly.