Keys to Compliance

Commit to Being Compliant

  We have already discussed the major consequences of violating the Import and Export regulations, by now it should be clear that the U.S. Government has the ability to take away your rights to do international business, can impose fines that cripple your business, embarrass your business in a very public way and take away your ability to win U.S. Government contracts by taking away your ability to have security clearances, ability to bid on U.S. Government contracts and the U.S. Government can even force a change in senior management or ownership should it feel that is the only way your organization will be compliant.

Your compliance professional will create a compliance program, with manuals, processes and procedures, training sessions, forms, and tools to assist you in recordkeeping requirements, keep your organization up to date on the changes in trends and what countries are moving on and off the denied, debarred or embargoed lists.

The compliance professional has an enormous load to ensure that your organization is playing by the rules correctly; however, they cannot do this alone. Each member of your organization must be committed to being compliant and assisting the compliance professional in any way they can to make sure that person has all the knowledge and tools in place to keep your company out of hot water. It is not only the compliance professional's responsibility to make sure the laws are followed — each employee must take responsibility for understanding their role and what is required of them.