Sydney Mintzer

Practice Areas

Sydney Mintzer's international trade and customs practice is primarily focused on helping clients comply with US import regulations, optimize global sourcing options and eliminate barriers to market entry. Major US and foreign corporations turn to Sydney for his experience as a licensed customs broker in cases involving customs audits, focused assessments, enforcement matters and other proceedings before US Customs & Border Protection (CBP).

Clients leverage Sydney’s experience as one the first lawyers to represent clients in CBP forced labor investigations since Section 307 of the Tariff Act was amended in 2016, obtaining one of the first modifications to a withhold release order that allowed clients to import articles otherwise banned for importation into the US. In addition, Sydney works with clients to develop, implement and audit internal compliance programs and identify optimal sourcing patterns to minimize tariffs and duties.

Sydney represents clients in antidumping (AD) and anti-subsidy (CVD) investigations initiated in multiple jurisdictions. Both domestic industries and foreign producers, in addition to exporters and importers, turn to Sydney for representation in these investigations, which gives him an excellent understanding of the issues and factors surrounding these proceedings. Clients also seek out Sydney’s advice on customs-related aspects of AD/CVD orders, including on whether imported goods are subject to these orders, methods for obtaining exclusions to them, and representation in proceedings before CBP seeking to exclude merchandise that allegedly evades AD/CVD orders.

In addition to representing clients before the US Department of Commerce and US International Trade Commission in US investigations, Sydney represents US and European companies in AD/CVD investigations in the EU, China, India, Mexico and Brazil. Clients rely on Sydney’s legal assistance across a wide range of industries, including mining, ferroalloys, steel, chemicals, renewable energy, fertilizer and textiles/apparel.

Sydney also represents clients in a variety of tariff proceedings, including ongoing Section 301 investigations. Companies seek his counsel in the interagency process used to determine the scope of Section 301 duties, and Sydney provides guidance both on behalf of clients seeking protection from imports as well as those seeking an exclusion to the duty. For clients subject to Section 301 duties, Sydney advises on how changes in their supply chain could be made to support a change in origin based on standard US rules of origin. He also advises clients on the applicability of Section 232 duties imposed on imports of steel and aluminum as well as the related process for excluding imports from that duty regime.