Jamie Joiner

Jamie has extensive experience representing U.S. and foreign companies on a wide range of international trade compliance requirements related to customs and cross-border trade. Her areas of practice include export controls, economic and trade sanctions, import and customs law, antiboycott restrictions, and requirements related to the USMCA and other free trade agreements and duty preference programs. She regularly represents companies in administrative proceedings before U.S. government agencies, including the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

She represents clients concerning a variety of trade controls compliance issues, including conducting investigations, defending enforcement actions, filing disclosures, responding to Penalty Notices and Claims for Liquidated Damages, applying for export licenses, filing classification, Commodity Jurisdiction and General Correspondence requests, responding to Seizure Notices, filing Protests, and conducting internal trade compliance audits.

Based in Houston, Texas, Jamie has represented multinational corporations in complex export controls and sanctions compliance matters. She has handled customs matters involving numerous customs ports across the United States. She has extensive experience handling North American cross-border trade issues, including Origin Verifications, audits by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, prior disclosures, investigations covering related party valuation, and country of origin issues.

In 2020, Jamie embarked on an extensive study related to modern slavery and forced labor laws, supply chain due diligence, and how these laws impact multinational enterprises and their supply chains. She is currently writing a book on the topic with the aim of providing practical guidance for organizations on how to incorporate these new laws and requirements into their existing international compliance programs.

• Led team of outside counsel in connection with complex export control and sanctions internal investigation for multinational oil and gas company involving multiple U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries resulting in settlements with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).   
• Obtained comprehensive export licenses from BIS for multiple companies enabling exports of numerous controlled goods to numerous countries and customers, allowing business operational flexibility under a single license.
• Conducted comprehensive U.S. import compliance review, including related party valuation issues, for a large U.S.-based electronics manufacturer.
• Drafted and assisted with implementation of Export Compliance Programs, Sanctions Compliance Programs, and Import Compliance Programs for companies in the healthcare, petrochemical, oil and gas (offshore and onshore), aerospace, aviation (aircraft parts manufacturing and aircraft leasing companies), maritime, hydrographic survey, aluminum, and academic industries. Compliance programs and implementation assistance have included internal roll-out or implementation training, refresher training, drafting of policies and procedures, conducting internal audits, teaching company employees how to conduct internal trade compliance audits, and preparation of eLearning content.
• Prepared tariff classification rulings to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding the tariff classification of products imported into the U.S.
• Conducted country of origin analyses of products imported into the U.S. by U.S. importer.
• Prepared and filed Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) ruling requests with the U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) on behalf of clients in multiple industries including maritime, aerospace, medical, and academic.
• Designed and drafted comprehensive International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) licensing procedures and work instructions covering all types of DDTC licenses for export and import, Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs), Manufacturing Licensing Agreements (MLAs), and Warehouse and Distribution Agreements (WDAs), for large U.S. defense contractor. Work instructions included detailed processes for use of ITAR compliance software used for licenses, tracking shipments under licenses, and more.
• Led team of outside counsel in conducting comprehensive internal investigation for U.S.-based multinational related to EAR and ITAR compliance, including defense services, resulting in settlements with DDTC and with BIS.

News

Publications

• Women Small Business Champion, U.S. Small Business Administration (2015)
• Recipient of the Client Choice Awards for Trade and Customs Counsel in Texas (2013-2014)

• Licensed as a U.S. Customs Broker (2005-present)
• Export Legal Assistance Network (Houston Area Coordinator)
• Houston Committee on Foreign Relations (Member)