Trade & Customs
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Trade & Customs Team →
Meet our regional team of experienced lawyers
Our Trade & Customs Practice’s strong regional presence is led by award winning teams in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, which have been involved in many major trade-related investigations, and advise and counsel on export controls, sanctions, trade agreements, anti-dumping and safeguards, and customs matters.
Our Practice has a wealth of experience in assisting clients to manage risks and maximise opportunities associated with the increasing regulation of international trade in goods and services.
Our Practice handles the complete range of trade work, from auditing businesses to training as well as structuring and implementing internal compliance programmes across multiple jurisdictions to ensure observance of both local and international trade regulations, advising on all types of agreements and conduct, and filing applications for permits, licensing as well as managing voluntary disclosures with trade authorities. We coordinate matters for clients at a regional level and also advise on the extraterritorial impact of US or EU controls locally and on any conflict with local regulations.
Featured insights
In this video, we discuss the importance of a force majeure clause and shares on how to properly draft a force majeure clause in a contract.
Force Majeure
Our Practice functions uniquely as a single collective team across the countries drawing on each other’s expertise within our respective jurisdictions. Our in-depth, on the ground knowledge of local culture and practices provide clients with reliable local law capabilities whilst ensuring they receive a seamless service. We speak “local” – the local language and English with all its nuances as used in a country.
Our Practice stands out from our competitors as we remain the only ASEAN firm to do trade across the myriad areas in this part of the world.
Our stellar client base includes businesses across all industries, including in aviation, automobile, banking & finance, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, data centres, ecommerce, electronics, food & beverage, health, logistics, manufacturing, paper, petroleum, semiconductor, steel, telecommunications, and tobacco, among others.
Export / Import Controls
We provide a broad range of services in relation to export and import control, including all aspects of advisory on imports and exports, guiding on strategic goods and controlled goods, obtaining permits from local customs authorities and other regulatory bodies as relevant, providing advice on classification of goods, valuation, import verification, coordinating trade issues at a regional level, ITAR issues and implementation of internal compliance programmes to ensure observance with local and international export control requirements, including employee training.
Trade Sanctions
We advise on all aspects of sanctions, embargoes and blocking regulations involving countries such as Iran, Israel, North Korea, Syria, Sudan and Libya and provide strategic guidance on movements of goods.
Trade Agreements
We advise on all aspects of free, regional and other trade agreements, touching on numerous issues including rules of origin, preferential rate calculation, customs, structuring transactions, interpretation and counselling, and trade disputes.
Anti-dumping and Safeguards
We provide advice on anti-dumping requirements, recommend strategies to avoid or minimise anti-dumping duties, as well as develop offensive or defensive legal and policy strategies to protect our clients’ interests. We also provide counsel on managing potential safeguards and liaising with regulators.
Custom and Valuation
We advise on all aspects of valuation, tariff classification, liaising with customs’ department, defending against prosecutions, and protection and enforcement of IP Rights at customs level.
International Logistics, Warehousing & Other Agreements
We have been involved in all forms of preparatory steps in relation to the logistical and warehousing aspects of international trade, including reviewing agreements in relation to the packing, labelling, documentation, insurance requirements and warehousing.
Product Recalls
We manage all aspects associated with product recalls and / or corrective action.
Related Links
Recognition
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Band 1 - South-East Asia – International Trade/WTOChambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
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Tier 1 - Customs & International Trade (Thailand)The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
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Tier 1 - Trade & Customs (Thailand)Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific (2024)
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Export Controls/Sanctions Law Firm of The Year – Rest of World – Honorable MentionWorldECR (2021)
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Export Controls/Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, Rest of the World – Runner UpWorldECR (2017)
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Ranked - Asia Pacific Region – International Trade/WTOChambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
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"Rajah & Tann (Thailand) Limited operates across all aspects of customs and trade matters, routinely representing clients in pursuing vailable remedies under bilateral, multilateral, or international agreements and appearing before the courts."The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 (Thailand)
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"The team excels in a range of areas, including anti-dumping, export controls, sanctions and the structuring of trade flows, as well as handling customs regulatory compliance for international companies operating across a number of sectors, with particular expertise in the energy, technology, consumer goods and finance spaces."Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024 (South-East Asia)
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"The Rajah & Tann customs and international trade team provides high quality and accurate advice to complex matters regarding Thai Customs and Trade law. Their response times are excellent, and they are very knowledgeable in the area."The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 (Thailand)
Rajah & Tann Asia offers in-depth legal expertise in trade matters concerning South-East Asian countries. Excels in a range of areas, including anti-dumping, export controls, safeguards and the structuring of trade flows, as well as handling customs regulatory compliance for international companies operating across a number of sectors, with particular expertise in the technology, consumer goods and finance spaces. Also works on matters involving free trade agreements and tariffs. Maintains a strong reputation for its handling of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia-related matters.
Our Trade & Customs Team
