LA Customs & International Trade Attorney
Los Angeles customs and international trade attorney — CBP penalty and seizure defense, tariff classification, audits, and IEEPA refunds. (818) 514-7680.
Updated October 30, 2026. Los Angeles customs & international trade attorney. Trembach Law represents importers and exporters at the Port of Los Angeles (CBP Port 2704), the Port of Long Beach (CBP Port 2709), and LAX air cargo (CBP Port 2720) in CBP penalty defense (19 U.S.C. § 1592), cargo seizure and detention relief, prior disclosure (19 U.S.C. § 1592(c)(4)), CF-28 and CF-29 responses, HTSUS tariff classification, customs valuation (19 U.S.C. § 1401a), protests (19 U.S.C. § 1514, 180-day deadline), Focused Assessment audits, IEEPA and CAPE tariff refunds, Section 301 and 232 tariff strategy, UFLPA forced-labor detention defense, USMCA, and litigation before the U.S. Court of International Trade (28 U.S.C. § 1581). Attorney Anatolii Trembach holds California Bar #349304 (verifiable at apps.calbar.ca.gov), an LL.M. from USC Gould School of Law, with a Business Law Certificate, and admission to the U.S. Court of International Trade. Free bilingual consultation: (818) 514-7680.
What a customs and international trade attorney in Los Angeles actually does
A customs and international trade attorney represents the companies that move goods across the U.S. border when something goes wrong with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or when a company wants to make sure nothing does. In practice that means three kinds of work: defending enforcement actions (penalties, seizures, audits, and detentions), building compliance programs that keep an importer out of trouble in the first place, and litigating disputes that cannot be resolved administratively at the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Trembach Law handles all three for Los Angeles importers and exporters. Attorney Anatolii Trembach holds an LL.M. from USC Gould School of Law, with a Business Law Certificate, is admitted to the California Bar (#349304) and to the U.S. Court of International Trade, and offers a free bilingual consultation at (818) 514-7680.
When you need a customs attorney in Los Angeles
You need a customs attorney in Los Angeles when CBP holds your cargo at the Port of LA or Long Beach, when you receive a penalty or pre-penalty notice, when you may have overpaid duties, when starting an import or export business, when you restructure your supply chain to reduce tariff exposure, or when you pursue IEEPA tariff refunds.
CBP penalty and seizure defense
Most importers meet a trade lawyer for the first time when a shipment is held or a penalty notice arrives. CBP can assess penalties under 19 U.S.C. § 1592 for entries that are materially false — whether the error was fraudulent, grossly negligent, or merely negligent — and the maximum exposure differs sharply by culpability level, which is why the government's characterization of your conduct matters more than the underlying duty loss. A voluntary prior disclosure under 19 U.S.C. § 1592(c)(4), filed before CBP tells you it has found the problem, generally caps the penalty at the interest on the unpaid duties. When cargo is seized, the importer receives a notice of seizure and a short window to file a petition for remission under 19 U.S.C. § 1618, post a bond for release, or refer the matter for judicial forfeiture proceedings. We respond to CF-28 requests for information and CF-29 notices of action, petition for remission or mitigation, and negotiate settlements before a penalty is perfected. Call (818) 514-7680.
Import compliance and Focused Assessment audits
The Customs Modernization Act made the importer of record legally responsible for exercising “reasonable care” on every entry — correct classification, valuation, country of origin, and marking. CBP tests that duty through Focused Assessment audits (a risk-based review of a company's internal controls that typically runs several months) and shorter Quick Response Audits aimed at a single issue. We prepare importers before an audit begins, represent them during fieldwork, and respond to preliminary findings so that a control weakness does not become a multi-year penalty case. A durable written compliance program — a classification database, a valuation methodology, recordkeeping under 19 U.S.C. § 1508, and a documented reasonable-care policy — is the single best protection an importer can buy. Call (818) 514-7680.
Tariff classification and customs valuation
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States decides the duty rate on every product, and small differences in how a good is described can move it between subheadings that carry very different rates. When classification is uncertain, we file a request for a binding ruling under 19 C.F.R. Part 177 so a company knows its rate before it imports, and we protest incorrect liquidations under 19 U.S.C. § 1514. On the valuation side, CBP appraises most merchandise on transaction value under 19 U.S.C. § 1401a; a properly documented “first sale” structure can lawfully reduce the dutiable value in a multi-tier sale, and correct treatment of assists, royalties, and commissions keeps the declared value defensible. Call (818) 514-7680.
Export controls, sanctions, and forced-labor compliance
International trade runs in both directions, and the export side carries some of the heaviest penalties in the field. We advise on the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. Parts 730–774, administered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. Parts 120–130, administered by the State Department), and economic sanctions administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. On the import side, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates a rebuttable presumption that goods with a connection to the Xinjiang region are made with forced labor and are barred from entry; releasing detained cargo requires a clear-and-convincing evidence package tracing the supply chain. We build those packages and respond to withhold-release orders and detentions. Call (818) 514-7680.
Litigation at the U.S. Court of International Trade
Not every dispute ends at CBP. The U.S. Court of International Trade has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581 over denied protests, refund actions, and challenges to agency trade determinations, with appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. We litigate denied protests under § 1581(a), classification and valuation disputes, antidumping and countervailing-duty scope and Enforce and Protect Act (19 U.S.C. § 1517) matters, and the IEEPA tariff-refund claims now pending after the Supreme Court's 2026 ruling. Because the CIT sits in New York but hears cases from every port, a Los Angeles importer does not need New York counsel — admission to the court, not geography, is what matters. Call (818) 514-7680.
What are the deadlines in a CBP customs dispute?
Answer a CF-28 Request for Information within 30 days and a CF-29 proposing action within 20 days. Once an entry liquidates, a protest under 19 U.S.C. § 1514 is due within 180 days. If CBP denies the protest, a summons at the Court of International Trade is due within 180 days of the denial.
| Situation | Deadline | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| CF-28 Request for Information | 30 days from issuance | CBP Form 28 |
| CF-29 Notice of Action (action proposed) | 20 days to respond before CBP takes the proposed action | CBP Form 29 |
| Protest of a liquidated entry | 180 days from liquidation | 19 U.S.C. § 1514 |
| Court of International Trade action after a denied protest | 180 days after the denial | 28 U.S.C. § 2636(a) |
Ports and clients we serve
Trembach Law serves importers and exporters moving goods through the Port of Los Angeles (CBP Port 2704), the Port of Long Beach (CBP Port 2709), LAX air cargo (CBP Port 2720), Ontario International Airport (CBP Port 2721), and Port Hueneme (CBP Port 2713) — together the largest containerized-cargo gateway in the United States. Our clients include apparel and textile importers, consumer-electronics and semiconductor companies, automotive and EV-parts suppliers, furniture and home-goods importers, food and agricultural importers, and e-commerce sellers adjusting to the end of the Section 321 de minimis exemption. The firm is headquartered at 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 350, Calabasas, CA 91301, a short drive from the Los Angeles ports. Call (818) 514-7680.
Tariff Lawyer vs. Customs Broker: When Do You Need Each?
Use a customs broker for routine entry filing. Hire a tariff lawyer for disputes and enforcement: a CBP audit or Focused Assessment, a penalty notice, an HTS classification dispute, a cargo seizure at port, a UFLPA detention, or a Section 301/232 exclusion. For a binding ruling request, a broker can assist while a tariff lawyer handles it.
Frequently Asked Questions — Customs & International Trade Attorney Los Angeles
- What is the difference between a customs attorney and a customs broker?
- A customs broker is licensed by CBP to file entries and clear cargo; a customs and international trade attorney is licensed to give legal advice and to represent a company in disputes — penalty cases, audits, protests, seizures, and litigation — that a broker is not authorized to handle. Many importers use both. Trembach Law works alongside your existing broker when a matter becomes a legal dispute. Call (818) 514-7680.
- Do I need a Los Angeles trade lawyer, or can any customs attorney help?
- Customs and international trade law is federal, so the right lawyer is one admitted to the U.S. Court of International Trade rather than one in a particular city. A local Los Angeles firm adds value through same-day, in-person response to detentions and seizures at the LA and Long Beach ports. Trembach Law offers both. Call (818) 514-7680.
- How quickly must I respond to a CBP penalty or seizure notice?
- Deadlines in customs matters are short and generally cannot be extended: a protest of a liquidation must be filed within 180 days under 19 U.S.C. § 1514, and a seizure notice sets an even shorter window to petition for remission or to refer the case to court. The right response depends on the notice, so call before the clock runs — (818) 514-7680.
- Can you help my company set up a compliance program before there is a problem?
- Yes, and it is the most cost-effective work we do. A documented reasonable-care program — classification database, valuation methodology, recordkeeping under 19 U.S.C. § 1508, and written procedures — is the record that defeats a gross-negligence characterization if CBP ever audits you. Call (818) 514-7680 for a free consultation.
Related Los Angeles customs & international trade services
- Los Angeles Tariff Lawyer — Section 301/232 tariff strategy and IEEPA/CAPE refund filing
- Tariff Classification Attorney Los Angeles — HTSUS disputes and binding ruling requests
- CBP Audit Defense Attorney Los Angeles — Focused Assessment and Quick Response Audits
- CF-28 & CF-29 Notice Attorney Los Angeles — responses to CBP inquiries and penalty notices
- Trade Compliance Attorney Los Angeles — reasonable-care programs and import controls
- San Diego Customs Lawyer — Port of San Diego (CBP Port 2501) and Otay Mesa
- San Francisco Customs Attorney — Northern California and Port of Oakland
- All International Trade & Customs Practice Areas
Filed Court of International Trade Actions
Trembach Law Firm is not only admitted to the U.S. Court of International Trade — it files its own IEEPA refund complaints there under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i), with new complaints filed as importers sign. CBP deployed CAPE Phase 3 — which covers finally liquidated entries for plaintiffs holding a court reliquidation order — on October 6, 2026. As of October 28, 2026 the firm is counsel in 35 actions at the Court of International Trade, docket numbers 1:26-cv-04095, 1:26-cv-04154, 1:26-cv-04156, 1:26-cv-04164, 1:26-cv-04185, 1:26-cv-04248, 1:26-cv-04271, 1:26-cv-04277, 1:26-cv-04300, 1:26-cv-04327, 1:26-cv-04328, 1:26-cv-04335, 1:26-cv-04342, 26-04390, 26-04392, 26-04393, 26-04394, 26-04395, 26-04396, 26-04418, 26-04421, 26-04488, 26-04556, 26-04559, 26-04563, 26-04568, 26-04569, 26-04616, 26-04617, 26-04618, 26-04643, 26-04668, 26-04745, 26-04766, 26-04797 (list and verification: Court of International Trade filings). Anatolii Trembach is admitted to practice before the Court of International Trade and is licensed in California, State Bar #349304, verifiable at apps.calbar.ca.gov.
This matters for IEEPA refunds specifically. The Court of International Trade has ordered CBP to reliquidate and refund on plaintiffs’ entries, and CBP’s CAPE Phase 3 for finally liquidated entries is likewise available only to importers who are plaintiffs at the Court. An importer who never filed has no confirmed, self-executing mechanism. Choosing counsel who has actually filed at that court, rather than counsel who only describes the process, is therefore a practical question and not a marketing one.
Jurisdiction over these actions rests on 28 U.S.C. § 1581, and the window to sue runs under 28 U.S.C. § 2636(i). No particular outcome is promised or guaranteed.
Fees, Costs and Case Results
Representation in these matters is offered on a contingency basis covering attorney fees only: there is no attorney fee unless we recover, and clients remain responsible for case costs, such as court filing and service fees. The specific terms that apply to a matter are set out in the written fee agreement for that matter.
Where this site refers to a verdict, settlement or court order, that result was dependent on the facts of that case, and results will differ if based on different facts. Past results do not predict or guarantee the outcome of any other matter, and no particular outcome is promised or guaranteed.
Contact Trembach Law Firm
Trembach Law Firm, APC
27001 Agoura Road, Suite 350, Calabasas, CA 91301
Phone: (818) 514-7680
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