What's Happening?
Subaru of America (SOA), based in Camden, New Jersey, is actively recruiting an Associate Director for Import Trade Compliance & Customs. This role is crucial for leading and providing strategic direction for the company's customs and import compliance
activities, ensuring adherence to evolving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations. The Associate Director will be responsible for establishing procedures, implementing changes to meet compliance demands, and interpreting strategic direction based on executive orders and Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) updates. The position also involves assessing and minimizing risk to SOA, staying updated on regulatory changes, and providing guidance to senior leadership. This individual will work closely with various internal stakeholders, including Legal, Aftersales, Tax, Finance, and Sales departments. The role is a hybrid position, allowing for remote work two days per week after an initial 90-day period, and requires approximately 10% domestic travel.
Why It's Important?
This recruitment highlights Subaru of America's commitment to maintaining robust import trade compliance in a complex and ever-changing regulatory landscape. The Associate Director will be instrumental in developing and directing duty optimization programs, such as First Sale for Export (FSFE), duty drawback, temporary import/export programs, and Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ). By optimizing these programs, SOA can potentially reduce costs and enhance its competitive position in the U.S. market. Furthermore, the role involves serving as an authority on customs planning, classification, country of origin, valuation, and special programs, including the management of trade remedies like Sections 232 & 301 and antidumping/countervailing duties. Effective management of these areas is vital for avoiding penalties, ensuring smooth supply chain operations, and protecting the company's financial interests. The focus on maintaining SOA's 'low risk' importer status with favored Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) membership underscores the importance of secure and compliant trade practices for national security and efficient commerce.
What's Next?
The successful candidate will be tasked with leading tariff mitigation strategies for Subaru of America while ensuring strict compliance. This includes establishing and managing business operations to monitor cargo security procedures and developing new policies as needed. A key responsibility will be representing the company's interests in communications with CBP and maintaining its C-TPAT status. The Associate Director will also support programs and controls to comply with the Forced Labor Act requirements, specifically preventing products made with forced labor from entering the U.S., and will work with Subaru Corporation (SBR) on traceability initiatives for compliance purposes, such as Certificate of Origin (COO) and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The role will also involve directing the internal audit roadmap for entry data, conducting root-cause analyses for filing discrepancies, and authoring prior disclosures or post-summary corrections when necessary. These ongoing efforts will ensure Subaru of America's continued adherence to U.S. trade laws and regulations.
Beyond the Headlines
The creation of this high-level compliance role reflects a broader trend in the automotive industry and other sectors facing increased scrutiny over global supply chains and trade practices. The emphasis on the Forced Labor Act and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) highlights the growing importance of ethical sourcing and human rights considerations in international trade. Companies like Subaru of America are not only navigating economic tariffs and duties but also complex social and political dimensions of global commerce. The need for an Associate Director to manage these multifaceted compliance issues indicates a shift towards more integrated and proactive risk management strategies. This role also underscores the critical intersection of legal, financial, and operational functions within a multinational corporation, where trade compliance is no longer a siloed activity but a strategic imperative influencing business decisions and brand reputation.
