Foreign trade authority visit: how importers should respond
Many companies have documents, but they do not have a protocol.
This means that, if an authority arrives to review foreign trade operations, the team may not know who should attend the visit, what information to provide, which departments to involve, or when to escalate the matter to the legal team or external advisors.
During a visit, request for information, or review, improvising can be as risky as not having documents.
The problem does not start when the authority arrives
The problem usually starts earlier.
It starts when the company does not have clarity on:
- Who receives the authority.
- Who reviews the scope of the request.
- Who gathers the information.
- What documents may be provided.
- Who validates the information before sharing it.
- Which departments must participate.
- Who documents what happened.
- When the legal team or external advisor should intervene.
When this is not defined, the company may act under pressure, provide incomplete information, create inconsistencies, or lose control of the review.
A protocol is not bureaucracy
An internal protocol allows the company to respond in an orderly way.
It is not about obstructing a review or improvising a defense. It is about knowing how to act, who to call, which documents to locate, and how to maintain consistency among the departments involved.
This is especially important for IMMEX companies, recurring importers, companies with Annex 24, PROSEC, Rule Eight, VAT and IEPS certification, or tariff preferences.
Warning signs
It is advisable to prepare a protocol if:
- Only one person knows where the files are.
- The warehouse team does not know how to link physical goods to pedimentos.
- Trade, tax, and accounting teams work with different information.
- There is no defined person responsible for attending the authority.
- There is no checklist of critical documents.
- No internal simulation has been conducted.
- The team does not know when to call external advisors.
- The company only organizes documents after receiving a request for information.
What should a basic protocol include?
A preventive protocol should define:
- Person responsible for receiving the authority.
- Internal legal or coordination lead.
- Departments that must participate.
- Document location route.
- Checklist of critical documents.
- Prior validation of information.
- Method to document requests and deliveries.
- Criteria for escalation.
- Periodic simulation of the process.
The difference between reacting and responding lies in preparation.
How can TradeWorks help?
At TradeWorks, we help importers and IMMEX companies prepare protocols and simulations for authority visits or information requests.
We can also review files, lawful presence, Annex 24, inventories, classification, origin, and applied benefits to identify gaps before a review.
An authority visit should not be the first time the company organizes its information.
Schedule a simulation or preventive diagnostic with TradeWorks.