Customs and Cooking

Two weeks ago, I wrote about a charcuterie board in the Blog entitled "All in the Presentation". See https://customsandcooking.blogspot.com/2021/08/all-in-presentation.html  This past weekend, my family had the privilege of being part of a Bar Mitzvah celebration for my nephew. Besides for being able to see family for the first time in two years (with masks and social distancing), the festive atmosphere was present and we all enjoyed several meals together as a family. During the picture session, it was great to see an amazing charcuterie board set up for all to enjoy. Congratulations Jadon!!! I guess you can compare a charcuterie board to hors d'oeuvres. A selection of palate watering snacks to prepare guests for the upcoming meal. It allows hosts and guests to mingle, talk, and enjoy some finger foods. (My only regret is that I did not take pictures to post...) With any cocktail reception, informal meeting, wine and cheese party (which we hope to host in the near future...

It does not feel good when a logistics director, compliance manager or a C-level corporate officer reviews a Customs reject. There was always the thought that the arguments presented to the Trade Compliance Verification unit of Customs were solid and also justified the request for refund or was able to substantiate the Customs declaration that was made. However, Customs does have the ability to review and disagree with arguments presented by responding and justifying their decision with arguments and precedent cases of their own. Does the case stop there? I would venture to advise that it should not. Most aspects of compliance are subjective and based on interpretation of administrative policy, regulations and most importantly law/legal precedent. If a claimant/importer feels that the decision rendered by Customs is not in-line with their justification, then an appeal can be initiated. There are also instances where a decision does not commit a claimant to an appeal and the claimant ma...

Recently, I was presented with a charcuterie board that my wife Mindy gave me for my birthday. It did come with some other goodies, but I was quite interested in how to set up my very own charcuterie board. Having remembered a discussion I had with a colleague of mine, Peter Wildbore, I set out to make a very appetizing and appealing board filled with meats, vegetables, fruit and dips. (Due to certain dietary restrictions, where I do not combine dairy with meat products, I chose to use meat products for this charcuterie board.) From a Customs perspective, I have a quote that I use when discussing submissions prepared for Customs during an audit. I outline that sometimes, "it is not what you say but how you say it". Basically, it is " all in the presentation ". One can outline responses to questions in multiple different ways and each response is accurate, truthful, and provides the information being requested. But how you provide this information is also key to the ...

Over the last year and a half, we all have had to adjust to the "new normal" and circumstances that have arisen from the worldwide health situation. Adjustments and change are never easy but this pandemic could have derailed compliance teams. Surprisingly, from the feedback that I have received, the situation actually strengthened communication and support with internal and external compliance stakeholders. Some of the best practices that I have heard about from various compliance teams are: - Set video conference meetings for internal teams to continue communication - Accessing files in specific drives so that all team members have visibility to the work being initiated - Providing written procedures for compliance issues and taking ownership of tasks so that complex compliance items do not fall "between the crack" These are just some examples of best practices that corporations initiated. There were others that had these best practices up and running far before th...