David P. Sanders

David Sanders has over 23 years of experience in customs and international trade matters, focusing on the representation of clients before U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a wide range of proceedings from ruling requests to audits and penalty cases. He represents U.S. importers in a variety of customs matters, including administrative proceedings involving U.S Customs’ treatment of clients’ imports, focused assessments, NAFTA verifications, prior disclosures, seizures and litigation in the Court of International Trade. He assists clients in developing, implementing and documenting customs compliance programs adapted to their importing operations, and advises clients regarding U.S. regulation of exports. Before entering private practice, Mr. Sanders served for almost six years as an attorney-advisor at U.S. Customs Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the Office of Regulations and Rulings. During his tenure there, he worked in the Tariff Classification Branch and Valuation Branch.

David Sanders has over two decades of experience guiding Fortune 500 companies through complex customs matters. His practice focuses on the representation of clients before U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a wide range of proceedings, from ruling requests to audits and penalty cases. His experience as an attorney-advisor in the Tariff Classification Branch and the Valuation Branch at U.S. Customs Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the Office of Regulations and Rulings gives him an understanding of the strategy clients need in order to navigate customs matters.

Mr. Sanders helps clients save on duties and reduce administrative costs by seeking favorable tariff classification and valuation decisions from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has defended companies in civil penalty cases. Mr. Sanders represents companies throughout the focused assessment audit process, which often involves prior disclosures, complex valuation, tariff classification and special program (e.g., GSP, 9801 and Drawback) issues. He also has guided U.S. companies with operations in Canada and Mexico through NAFTA verifications undertaken by U.S., Canadian and Mexican customs authorities.

Mr. Sanders’ representative matters include:

• Advised and represented hi-tech consumer electronics and computer importer in administrative proceedings challenging tariff classifications assigned by CBP.
• Represented heavy industrial manufacturers in CBP penalty proceedings involving allegedly false drawback claims.
• Performed internal compliance assessment of large household goods importer and identified areas of potential exposure. Assisted client to develop and implement     compliance processes and procedures. Guided and represented client through prior disclosure process involving valuation, classification and special program claim errors, resulting in the establishment of an import compliance function within the company.
• Advised and represented importer/retailer in responding to CBP inquiries involving products potentially subject to anti-dumping duties.
• Counseled and represented industrial equipment and supplies importer in CBP Focused Assessment (“FA”) audit.

Mr. Sanders served on the U.S. Court of International Trade Advisory Committee from 1998 until early 2008, and currently serves as co-chairman of the International Trade Committee of the District of Columbia Bar’s International Law Section.  He is a member of the Customs Lawyers’ Association and a regular speaker at various seminars and trade association events serving the importing and exporting communities. He recently authored “Best Practices for Import Compliance: Avoiding Common Pitfalls,” a chapter published in the Inside the Minds: International Trade Legal Strategies series.  Mr. Sanders is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

Mr. Sanders received his J.D. in 1987 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his B.A. in 1982 from the University of Michigan. He is also fluent in Spanish.