Tony Kerr covers the full range of customs and international trade issues, from import and export procedures, customs valuation, preferential and non-preferential origin, the use of duty relief, tariff classification, customs warehousing, free trade zones, excise taxes, Incoterms, export and import licensing, import/export systems, customs compliance reviews, and customs and trade due diligence. He has extensive practical and technical knowledge of Customs legislation in Asia.
Mr. Kerr applies a holistic approach to global customs compliance, global supply chain security (AEO & C-TPAT), education and training, and presenting to audiences at all levels of government and business.
During his career as a consultant and advisor to business, he has assisted clients in the field of anti-corruption in respect to both local anti-corruption rules and those of the FCPA. There are still a large number of countries within Asia where there is an expectation by customs and other border authorities of extra payments. It is for this reason Mr. Kerr ensures that Anti-corruption forms a key part of the Customs due diligence and Customs compliance review services he provides to his clients. Mr. Kerr assists clients to identify potential areas of exposure in their day to day operations especially where they interface with Customs and other border authorities to ensure they have in place the appropriate internal controls and that these controls are effective.
He works with other BCIC professionals to create and deliver simple, comprehensive compliance processes, and to add value by delivering savings and mitigating risk in supply and value chains, customs areas (classification, valuation, origin, trade agreements and export control). While playing a key role in managing advocacy on behalf of clients, Mr. Kerr also focuses on opportunities and facilitation, giving clients a competitive edge whilst still being fully compliant with regulatory requirements.
Mr. Kerr was with the New Zealand Customs Service for 22 years where he gained experience in a wide field of customs work, including enforcement and related audit, tariff classification, rules of origin and determination of origin, customs valuation under the BDV and WTO systems, staff training and systems audits. He was acknowledged both within Customs and in the business community for his skills in customs valuation under all systems in use in the region and his advice on such matters was constantly sought by importers and importer groups within New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. He was also a member of the team tasked with assisting developing countries to implement WTO customs valuation provisions under the APEC umbrella.