Jeff
Fraser

Director, Global Trade Consulting, Canada

Building Trust

Jeff joined Livingston in 1992 as an import analyst. Today, he leads a team of customs experts across Canada focused on helping companies minimize risk and achieve higher levels of customs compliance in their international trade. He develops customized compliance programs for importers and provides expert guidance on identifying duty savings and recovery programs. He also has considerable experience building cross-border processes specific to the needs of U.S.-based non-resident importers.

Jeff is experienced in customs valuation, tariff classification, international trade agreement compliance, appeals and dispute settlement, refunds, duty drawbacks, sales and excise taxes, seizure appeals, entry audits, and anti-dumping legislation as well as international logistics and supply chain management.

Says Jeff: "After 30+ years, I have a wide breadth of experience. This is important because clients don't want to be guinea pigs. They want someone who has been there and done that. I can also look at problems and issues from a variety of perspectives and come up with creative solutions – not just stock answers obtainable from anyone. Creative outside-the-box thinking is key in this business."

"I am not there for a quick buck and to move on. I am there to be the trusted advisor. My decision tree goes like this — and the order is important because it ensures everyone’s success: 1. Associates 2. Clients 3. Prospects 4. Livingston. Some people think that having your employer at the bottom is counter intuitive. I don't. I have to make sure that Livingston’s goals are in concert with the client's goals. Livingston doesn't succeed if our clients don't succeed."

Work of note: 1. A successful ruling that allowed for the recovery of $1.6 million in duty then ongoing savings. 2. A considerable number of projects that have provided annual six-figure savings. 

"Most people love to hear about duty recovery. However, often the most important successes are those that don't generate the big dollars from a compliance perspective. For example, my team was able to obtain CBSA buy-in to complete blanket annual transfer pricing adjustments covering all entries. In the case of one client, this meant four quarterly one-to-many adjustments rather than 70,000 individual ones. From a Livingston perspective, the 70,000 would have meant a lot of revenue. But in terms of successes, the blanket approval was huge for the client."

Personal passions: Dedication to family. ("Nothing is more important.") Dependability. ("Why would people want to be around you if they could not count on you?") Sharing experiences. (“It builds bonds that are not easily broken, personally and professionally.")

Jeff holds a professional designation from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), is a certified trade compliance specialist, and a certified customs specialist in both Canada and the U.S. He also holds a professional logistician designation from the Canadian Professional Logistics Institute. An experienced speaker, he is a frequent seminar presenter.