San Jose Customs Attorney

San Jose customs attorney for Silicon Valley importers — CBP defense, IEEPA/CAPE tariff refunds, Section 301, UFLPA, and CIT litigation. (818) 514-7680.

Updated September 14, 2026. Trembach Law Firm represents Silicon Valley importers and exporters in customs and international trade matters before U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Attorney Anatolii Trembach (California State Bar #349304; LL.M. in International Business and Economic Law; admitted to the U.S. Court of International Trade) advises semiconductor, electric-vehicle, solar, biotech, medical-device, and e-commerce companies importing through the Port of Oakland (CBP Port 2811), San Francisco International Airport air cargo (SFO, Port 2801), and Mineta San Jose International (SJC, Port 2834). Free consultation: (818) 514-7680.

How fast must I respond to a CF-28 or CF-29 from CBP?

A CF-28 Request for Information is generally due within 30 days. A CF-29 Notice of Action should be answered before the proposed rate advance liquidates. A weak or late response can lead to rate advances, penalty referrals under 19 U.S.C. section 1592, and EAPA evasion referrals.

What is the deadline to protest a CBP decision?

An importer generally has 180 days from liquidation to file a protest under 19 U.S.C. section 1514. A denied protest may be challenged at the U.S. Court of International Trade under 28 U.S.C. section 1581(a), whose jurisdiction is nationwide.

Can prior disclosure reduce customs penalties?

A valid prior disclosure under 19 U.S.C. section 1592(c)(4) — made before CBP commences a formal investigation — can substantially limit penalty exposure for negligence or gross negligence, typically to the interest on the unpaid duties.

What trade issues affect Silicon Valley importers?

Common matters include HTSUS tariff classification, customs valuation (including royalty and assist additions), country-of-origin and substantial-transformation analysis, Section 301 China tariffs, UFLPA forced-labor Withhold Release Orders (19 U.S.C. section 1307), antidumping and countervailing duty scope, duty drawback (19 U.S.C. section 1313), USMCA qualification, Foreign-Trade Zone planning, and EAR/ITAR/OFAC export controls.

Ports and areas served

Trembach Law serves importers across San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the greater Bay Area, including entries through the Port of Oakland, SFO and SJC air cargo, and Otay Mesa land borders for Mexico-routed shipments. The firm can also represent importers at any U.S. port for Court of International Trade litigation. Phone: (818) 514-7680.

Filed Court of International Trade Actions

Trembach Law Firm is not only admitted to the U.S. Court of International Trade — it has filed 3 complaints there. The actions are docketed at the Court of International Trade as 26-02506, 26-02846, 26-04095. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a customs attorney in San Jose instead of a customs broker?

A customs broker can file entries, but only a licensed customs attorney can defend you in 19 U.S.C. § 1592 penalty cases, Court of International Trade (CIT) litigation, CBP audits (Focused Assessments), CF-28/CF-29 disputes, IEEPA refund declarations, EAPA evasion investigations, and Section 301/UFLPA seizures. Trembach Law Firm represents Silicon Valley importers — semiconductor, EV, solar, biotech and apparel companies routed through the Port of Oakland, SFO and SJC air cargo, and Otay Mesa land entries — from CBP notice through CIT appeal.

What does a customs attorney in San Jose typically handle for tech importers?

A San Jose customs attorney handles: CF-28 Requests for Information, CF-29 Notices of Action, prior disclosures, 1592 penalty mitigation, IEEPA and CAPE Act refund declarations, Section 301 and Section 232 tariff exposure, UFLPA detentions on polysilicon and electronics components, HTSUS reclassification, transaction-value challenges, royalty additions, AD/CVD scope rulings for solar/aluminum, EAPA evasion defense, duty drawback recovery, USMCA qualification, FTZ admissions, and CBP seizure release. We also litigate at the Court of International Trade and Federal Circuit.

Can a San Jose customs attorney help me file an IEEPA or CAPE refund declaration?

Yes. After V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. United States and the Supreme Court IEEPA proceedings, every Silicon Valley importer that paid IEEPA-based duties is potentially eligible for a refund declaration plus interest. Our San Jose customs lawyer files protective protests under 19 U.S.C. § 1514 within 180 days of liquidation, prepares CAPE refund declarations, runs ACE entry summary analysis to recover overpayments, and pursues CIT actions where CBP denies relief.

How fast must I respond to a CF-28 or CF-29 notice from San Jose CBP?

CF-28 (Request for Information): 30 days from issuance. CF-29 (Notice of Action): respond before the proposed rate advance liquidates; there is no fixed statutory response window, so act immediately. A late or weak response triggers rate advances, 1592 penalty referrals to FP&F, and EAPA referrals. Our San Jose customs attorney intervenes on day one, prepares the documentary defense, and substitutes counsel of record with CBP so all communications route through us.

What ports and entries do you cover for Silicon Valley clients?

Trembach Law Firm represents San Jose importers across the Port of Oakland (CBP Port 2811), San Francisco International Airport (SFO — CBP Port 2801), Mineta San José International (SJC — Port 2834 air cargo), Otay Mesa / San Ysidro land borders for Mexico-routed entries, and JFK / LAX trans-shipment where Silicon Valley distribution is impacted. We also represent at any U.S. port for CIT litigation, since CIT jurisdiction is nationwide.

How much does a San Jose customs attorney cost?

Trembach Law Firm offers free initial consultations for CBP notices, IEEPA refund declarations, and penalty assessments. We work on hourly, flat-fee, and contingency (for refund recovery) engagements depending on matter type. Bay Area tech companies typically engage us on a CF-28 response flat fee, an annual compliance retainer, or a contingency on duty refund recovery.

Do you represent companies in CIT and Federal Circuit appeals from San Jose?

Yes. The U.S. Court of International Trade has nationwide jurisdiction over customs and tariff cases. We file summons under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a) (denied protests), § 1581(c) (AD/CVD challenges), and § 1581(i) (IEEPA/CAPE constitutional and statutory challenges) on behalf of San Jose Silicon Valley importers, with Federal Circuit appeals when needed.

What is the first sale rule and can it reduce duties on Silicon Valley tech imports?

The first sale rule lets qualifying importers declare customs value on the price of the first sale in a multi-tier transaction — often the factory price rather than the higher price a trading company charges — which can substantially lower the duties owed on components, servers, and finished electronics imported by Silicon Valley companies. It requires a bona fide sale for export to the United States, an arm's-length price, and documentation tracing each tier. With Section 301 China tariffs still in force, first sale is one of the most effective lawful duty-reduction tools for tech importers. We assess eligibility, build the valuation documentation, and defend it if CBP questions the declared value under 19 U.S.C. § 1401a.

What is CTPAT and is it worth it for a San Jose importer?

CTPAT — CBP's voluntary Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism — rewards members that satisfy its supply-chain security criteria with fewer examinations, inspection priority, and eligibility for other trusted-trader benefits, all valuable for tech companies with high-volume, time-sensitive supply chains through the Port of Oakland and SFO air cargo. We help Silicon Valley importers prepare CTPAT applications and security profiles, handle validation, and resolve suspensions.

Can you handle a customs hold or detention at SJC (Mineta San José International) air cargo?

Yes. Mineta San José International (SJC — CBP Port 2834) operates a bonded air-cargo facility that receives direct Silicon Valley imports of semiconductor wafers, EV battery samples, and aerospace components. When CBP holds a shipment at SJC, we identify the legal basis — classification, valuation, admissibility, or a UFLPA forced-labor hold — and move immediately, because storage charges accrue daily and high-value tech cargo is time-sensitive. We also respond to holds routed through the Port of Oakland (2811) and SFO air cargo (2801).

Can you defend an EAPA evasion allegation on China-origin solar or electronics trans-shipped through Southeast Asia?

Yes. Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigations frequently target China-origin solar cells, aluminum extrusions, and battery materials that Commerce alleges were trans-shipped through Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, or Cambodia to evade AD/CVD orders. We prepare the documentary origin record — bills of materials, production records, and factory evidence — file Commerce scope-ruling requests where the merchandise is genuinely outside the order, and defend Bay Area importers through the EAPA administrative record and, if needed, Court of International Trade review.

Contact Trembach Law Firm

Trembach Law Firm, APC

27001 Agoura Road, Suite 350, Calabasas, CA 91301

Phone: (818) 514-7680

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