Trade

Heenan Blaikie’s Trade practice group provides all the necessary tools to help importers and exporters comply with the laws that govern international trade. The members of our Trade practice group advise and represent governments, corporations, individuals, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry associations on all aspects of internal and international trade.

Services Overview

We provide domestic and international trade advice in connection with:

• Trade remedies – representation and advice in anti-dumping, countervail and safeguards investigations for domestic complainants, foreign exporters and importers; representation before all the relevant decision-making bodies, including the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, NAFTA Chapter 19 Binational Panels and the Federal Court
• Customs – customs procedures, rules of origin, valuation, tariff classification, audits, customs seizures, administrative monetary penalties, Customs Self Assessment and Partners in Protection programs, requests for re-determinations, appeals, compliance and voluntary disclosure programs, remission orders, advanced rulings and drawbacks
• Government relations – advocacy and lobbying with respect to a wide range of trade and regulatory issues; monitoring of department and agency initiatives and legislative and regulatory developments; parliamentary committees and other consultative processes
• WTO disputes and other disputes arising from multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements, including with respect to unfair trade practices, market access issues, technical barriers to trade, agricultural subsidies, services, investment, tariff and taxation issues
• Investment – advice and representation under NAFTA Chapter 11 and bilateral investment treaties including investor-state arbitrations under the ICSID and UNCITRAL rules and local court set-aside proceedings; advice regarding the filing and handling of investment treaty claims
• Export controls and sanctions – export permit issues under the Export and Import Permits Act, military and dual-use goods, deemed re-export issues, United Nations Security Council sanctions, Cuban sanctions and extra-territoriality issues, import and export quotas and advanced rulings
• Anti-corruption and international compliance – advice and representation on the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act; international corporate compliance and social responsibility policies, programs and audits; whistleblowing programs, risk analysis and assessments with respect to anti-corruption

Organizational Involvement

Members of the Trade practice group speak and publish widely, both in Canada and internationally, and are actively involved in international and domestic trade policy organizations and initiatives, including the following:

• International Law Section of the Ontario, Canadian and American Bar Associations
• International Trade Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Customs and Market Access Committee of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
• International Bar Association
• Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters (I.E. Canada)
• American Society of International Law
• Customs and International Trade Bar Association
• Inter-Pacific Bar Association
• Transparency International