Torres Talks Trade

In this week's episode, host Donald Pearce is joined by Dan Cohen, Founder and CEO of Flite Material Sciences, to discuss the discovery of innovative technologies, the field of technology transfer, and how startups should be monitoring and implementing export controls and other regulatory compliance in the early stages of their technology business ventures.

In this week's episode, host Olga Torres is joined by Author and Associate Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Daniel McDowell, to discuss the concept of “de-dollarization” and its correlation to international relations and U.S. imposed sanctions.

In this week's episode, host Olga Torres is joined by Matt Bell, Senior Managing Director and Leader of Export Controls, Sanctions, and Trade at FTI Consulting, to discuss China's historic rise and trajectory, recommendations for de-risking as a U.S. or Chinese company and increased geopolitical risks flowing down to industry.  

In this week's episode, host Olga Torres is joined by Isaac Stone Fish, Founder and CEO of Strategy Risks an advisory firm, to discuss China's strategy and its implications for U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives with respect to China's growing influence both in the United States and abroad.

In this week's episode, host Olga Torres is joined by U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Ret.) Stephen Lanza to discuss the U.S. military state of affairs and new geopolitical challenges facing the U.S., specifically, Russia and China.

In this week's episode, host Donald Pearce is joined by David Heasley, the Founder and Principal Solicitor of Australian law firm Heasley Lawyers, to discuss AUKUS, a deal announced in September 2021 between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to work on multilateral projects, including the nuclear submarine force.

In this week's episode, host Camille Edwards is joined by Donald Pearce, a former special agent at OEE and consultant with Torres Trade Advisory, to discuss current developments in the enforcement of trade controls against Russia, including the DOJ Task Force KleptoCapture and its recent involvement in two cases of enforcement.

In this week's episode, host Derrick Kyle is joined by Eric Hinton, the founding Director of the Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law and Leadership at SMU Dedman School of Law, and a former Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, to discuss the importance of ethics and compliance for an international business, requirements and best practices for compliance programs, and international trade risk areas that businesses should monitor.

In this week's episode, we discuss the unique high-profile whistleblower case involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, describing corruption, bribery, and money laundering conspiracy involving PetroSaudi, the former Malaysian Prime Minister, businessman Jho Low, well-established banks, and the courageous man who blew the whistle to uncover the scheme. Host Olga Torres is joined by Xavier Justo, the famous whistleblower and former Director of International Business Development for PetroSaudi International. *To support and learn more about this story, you can purchase the book written by Xavier Justo “Rendezvous with Injustice” on Amazon.

This week's episode covers the “new trend” of suing and challenging OFAC decisions and discusses some recent lawsuits against OFAC. Host Olga Torres is joined by Erich Ferrari, Founder and Principal Attorney of Ferrari & Associates, a law firm that provides expert advice on U.S. economic and trade sanctions.

In the second of a two-part series on federal investigations within the Department of Homeland Security, host Derrick Kyle continues his discussion with former DHS Deputy Chief Counsel Rob Dunikoski. Together, they discuss what a custom summons is, custom fraud investigations, and recommendations for companies facing these types of investigations. This is the summer season finale episode of the Torres Talks Trade podcast. Stay tuned because we will be back in November for our Fall/Winter Season. For any podcast recommendations or to participate as a guest, email us at operations@torrestradelaw.com.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. Government created the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a broad range of national security functions. Today, DHS is widely known for overseeing both Immigrations and Customs operations. This week, nearly 21 years after that fateful day, host Derrick Kyle sits down with former DHS Deputy Chief Counsel Rob Dunikoski, in the first of a two-part series, to discuss Rob's experience overseeing federal investigations and bringing criminal cases to the U.S. Attorney's office.

In the second of a two-part series regarding the BIS Office of Export Enforcement, host Olga Torres sits down with former BIS Special Agents Don Pearce and Jim Fuller to discuss what to do when government enforcement agencies come knocking, and how to interact with the government if there's a VSD or an ongoing investigation

In this week's episode, the first of a two-part series, host Olga Torres sits down with Jim Fuller, former special agent, with the Office of Export Enforcement (“OEE”) within the Bureau of Industry and Security, and Don Pearce, former special agent at OEE and consultant with Torres Trade Advisory. Together, they discuss the ongoing ZTE case, recent enforcement trends, and what to expect when OEE agents come knocking at your door. Be sure to tune in next week, for Part 2, where Jim & Don will discuss what to do when government agencies come knocking.

In this week's episode, host Olga Torres is joined by David Laufman, former Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section, “CES,” at the Department of Justice to discuss high-profile sanctions and export enforcement cases, DOJ voluntary self-disclosures, and C-suite compliance certifications announced by DOJ. At DOJ, David played a key role in the cases against ZTE and Huawei, and is uniquely positioned to comment on current DOJ efforts to promote corporate compliance. This is part 2 of a two-part series (episodes 10 and 11) with David Laufman where we discussed all things FARA.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, FARA, has been making headlines recently, as Washington seeks to crack down on foreign influence in the United States. But the law has a surprising history, and could be in for some major updates in the coming months. In the first of a two-part series, Host Olga Torres is joined by David Laufman, former Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section at the Department of Justice to discuss all things FARA. Be sure to tune in next week, for Part 2, where David will discuss high-profile sanctions and export enforcement cases, DOJ voluntary self-disclosures, and C-suite compliance certifications recently announced by DOJ.

In this week's episode, Host Donna Wedgeworth speaks with Anthony Saranchak, former U.S. Customs Assistant Field Director in Regulatory Audit, to discuss identity theft in U.S. importing and global supply chains and how U.S. Customs and Border Protection is taking a step toward improving supply chain data reliability with the proposed Global Business Identifier program. Find out what this means for businesses and supply chains, and how you can prepare your enterprise as Customs expands the program to the wider industry.

The debate between free trade and protectionism is alive and well, and perhaps fiercer than ever, in the United States and abroad. In this week's episode, host Olga Torres sits down with Steve Charnovitz, professor at the George Washington Law School, to discuss the importance of a worker-centered trade policy, the WTO, the Treasury's call for “friendshoring” of supply chains, and how the U.S. can promote workers' rights at home and around the world.

This week's episode discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "CFIUS," the U.S. interagency body that reviews foreign investment for national security purposes. Host Olga Torres is joined by Albert Schulz, founder of Kaerus Consulting LLC, which provides a variety CFIUS Mitigation services to clients, to look at the ins and out CFIUS mitigation, and how to ensure international mergers and acquisitions in critical areas proceed smoothly while minimizing risk to national security.

This week's episode looks at the U.S. government's enforcement of laws that combat forced labor in supply chains, including the newly passed Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, as well as the impact of forced labor compliance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. How can companies ensure their supply chains are compliant and protect against the risk of having their goods seized or detained? Find out as host Olga Torres is joined by Ana Hinojosa, a former Executive Director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Office of International Affairs at CBP, and a fromer Director of Compliance and Facilitation for the World Customs Organization, now President of ABH Global Trade Consulting, and Kelli Thompson, a former Supervisory Import Specialist at CBP and now the CEO of Integrity International Trade Consulting.

This podcast covers the important topic of U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") audits, including how CBP selects companies for audits and how importers should prepare for an audit. Anthony “Tony” Saranchak, Senior Customs Adviser at Torres Trade Advisory, provides insights from his vast experience working as an auditor at CBP.

This week's episode looks at the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and trade relations between the United States, Mexico, and China. Emilio Arteaga, a partner at Mexican trade law firm Vazquez Tercero & Zepeda based out of Mexico City joins host Olga Torres to provide his unique perspective on current trade and policy issues affecting both sides of the border as well as both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

This week's episode covers the latest issues in cross-border trade between Texas and Mexico. Texas-based Customs Broker Adrian Gonzalez of Global Alliance Solutions helps break down the current state of supply chain disruptions, Title 42, the Summit of the Americas, and the future of international commerce between the United States and Mexico.

This episode discusses the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which lays out the cybersecurity standards required of government contractors. Guest Dave Grey, Cybersecurity Consultant with Torres Trade Advisory, joins Olga Torres to discuss what the CMMC requires, who it covers, and what all businesses can do to keep their and their customers' data safe.

This podcast covers Russia sanctions and a former U.S. Government Special Agent's personal experience while living in Russia and serving as an attaché for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Listen in for a brief discussion regarding avoidance of risks for businesses with operations in the region. Guest: Don Pearce – Senior Trade Advisor and Former Office of Export Enforcement Agent