APAC Trade Compliance Specialist

Job Description
The India APAC Trade Compliance Specialist develops and implements customs compliance frameworks for India, ensuring alignment with global policies across Seeds and Crop Protection units. This role collaborates with Trade Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, and Tax to enforce Corteva's trade policies in India. Key duties include interpreting local import/export regulations, ensuring compliance, identifying customs duty savings and process improvements, managing audits and security programs, and serving as an escalation point.

Primary Responsibilities Include

• Be the point of contact for trade compliance activities for India
• Be the escalation focal point for India and APAC Trade Compliance/Logistics leaders for questions related to International Trade and Partnering Government Agencies (PGAs) for India.
• Engage with local and global legal teams, represent the company on various trade matters with regulators like Customs, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Special Intelligence Investigation Branch (SIIB) etc.
• ⁠Implement required SVB regulations, procedures, valuation and transfer pricing
• Lead external regulatory audits around Customs and support the International Trade Operations Team (IOT) in internal audits and document internal control processes
• Manage Customs Brokers relationships, POA, Broker Guidelines and Broker bids as needed.
• Manage Quarterly Self Assessments in the countries of responsibility, providing support to continuously improve self-assessment audit scores. Continue to expand the audit to new sites.
• Manage and understand Regional Duty Savings/Spend and work with Trade Operations/Logistics leaders on savings strategies, including execution of any special trade regime, including reporting of savings and spending to Global Trade leader on a quarterly basis.
• ⁠Evaluate Free Trade Agreements and offer SME guidance on Country of Origin (COO) Determination, Analysis on eligible RMs, RVC validation etc.
• ⁠Engage with Legal, Tax and Government Affairs & Supply Chain teams to make industry representations through Trade bodies and Associations and participate in Customs Open house trade facilitation meeting/s.
• Solve complex trade compliance problems and offer viable and complaint solutions to drive efficient strategies for business enablement and continuity.
• Develop framework and strategy, and drive implementation, related to Advocacy efforts with key stakeholders to defend the company against claims and notification from Customs Authorities and agencies within the countries of responsibility in the region
• Participate in APAC Region Trade Compliance network meeting with the Crop Protection and Seeds functional departments including R&D, Procurement, Finance, Legal, Supply Chain and other departments that work on international transactions and build SOPs to offer comprehensive Compliance insights
• Communicate International Trade Updates and other topics of common interest, review and assess Regulatory changes vide Trade Notices, Customs Circulars, notifications to communicate possible impact to internal stakeholders, India leadership, Global TG Director and Regional TG Manager.
• Manage and record Incoterms exceptions specific to India import/export and build SOPs and
• Work with International Trade Operations/Logistics focal points on Safe and Security program, such as AEO – Authorized Economic Operator, providing training, coaching and audit support for external consultancy verifications and preparation for Customs audits
• Support Regional Supply Chain Manager to explore business models with applications of Free Trade Zones, Customs bonded warehouses or similar special zones
• Support and help develop Quarterly Trade Essential Training programs, bringing ideas about topics, preparation, material, presenting.
• Identify, prepare and provide regional training, based on specific topics that require enforcement and understanding.
• Understand Global Trade Governance Policies and work to educate India and APAC Trade Operations focal points on the Policies, as well as ensure Regional/Country specific procedures are in line with the global policies.
• Follow regulation changes and communicate with impacted countries in the region. Support Trade operations on the implementation of processes for trade compliance to meet new requirements.
• Manage the use of the global classification system for import and export classifications at regional level working with the Global Classification team to assess right HS classifications, provide 'heads up on the Compulsory Compliance requirements associated with the CTH such as CIB permit, CDSCO, FSSAI & related PGA documentation, Duty rates, Tariff concession exemptions, rebates
• Build Compliance function as 'Centre of excellence' and foster culture of compliance across teams.

Critical Success Factors

• Ability to enforce use of corporate policies to ensure compliance with regulations
• Strong experience, knowledge, and capability in trade compliance
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to create and execute programs, and benchmark best practices to develop processes that support continuous improvement
• Ability to recognize issues, problems or opportunities and collaborate with Global Trade Compliance Leader, Trade Operations, Logistics, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Tax and Legal as needed.
• Coaching and general guidance to colleagues and team members in India and other APAC countries.
• Ability to manage and mobilize resources by influence
• Teamwork and cross functional collaboration

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college.
• Licensed Customs Broker and/or related industry certifications preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in international trade compliance with focus on India or related experience within a global company, with a working knowledge of trade regulations
• Knowledge of FTA, Free Trade Zones, duty drawback, duty suspension (RoDTEP/RoDSEL, Advance Authorisation), and exemption programs. Strong duty optimization knowledge and experience implementing duty reduction projects.
• Must know and understand HTS classifications and restrictions that may be applied
• Good writing skills, especially in drafting responses to queries raised by Government agencies
• Knowledge of SAP GTS and SAP S4 HANA
• Knowledge of trade compliance security programs and global best practices.
• Good negotiation, Project Management experience, influence and conflict resolution skills.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Fluent, speech and writing, in English + working knowledge of Hindi & local language