This webinar will help Indian exporters understand the complex U.S. tariff system introduced during the Trump administration. We’ll also cover practical and creative ways to reduce duty costs and explore opportunities to connect with the right U.S. importers.
Topics Covered
The webinar will cover the following topics:
Customs 101 - Basic understanding of U.S. customs
Overview of Pre - Trump tariff regime
America First Trade Policy - what changed
Understanding the New Tariffs - explained simply
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
Reciprocal Tariffs
Automotive Tariffs
How foreign exporters and U.S. importers are responding
Strategies to reduce tariff costs for companies
Agenda
Introduction
Navin Pathak - CEO, Entry USA & Entry India
Opening Address
Unnikrishnan Kottekkat - Joint Director General, FIEO
Speaker
Dharmendra N. Choudhary - Partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK)
Speaker
Ned Marshak - Partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK)
Speaker
Charlene Riley - East Coast Import Operations Manager with J W Allen
Navin is responsible for Entry India and Entry USA's mission to make it easy for companies in US and India to seamlessly connect with each other and do business.
Navin is responsible for overseeing the mission to facilitate seamless business establishment and expansion for Indian companies in the US, and vice versa for US companies in India.
His business mantra is 'people listen if they like you but do business when they trust you'. Built on trust, he has assisted hundreds of companies to establish and expand their business cross-border.
He has successfully managed, and executed high-impact US & India market expansion projects for many business enterprises, including that of Electronics and Computer Software (ESC) Export Promotion Council, funded by Govt. of India.
Navin holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from George Mason University in Virginia and a Master's degree in Engineering Management.
Charlene Riley
East Coast Import Operations Manager with J W Allen
Charlene is the East Coast Import Operations Manager with J W Allen, a logistics firm that has been in business for 92 years.
Charlene is a licensed customs broker with experience in handling food and food related products. She has assisted clients with entering products subject to FDA and USDA regulations.
Charlene started in the industry after receiving her degree in International Politics from Pennsylvania State University. She has been in the logistics industry for over thirty-five years. Charlene received her customs brokerage license in 1989. She has been in various corporate leadership positions in offices throughout the United States, among them New York/Newark, JFK, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
She has been on the board of the New York/New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association (“NYNJFFFBA”) since 2004, including being the President from 2013-2017. She currently serves as a senior advisor to the NYNJFFFBA. She has been an active volunteer with the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (“NCBFFAA”). She served on various committees with the NCBFAA – Customs Committee representing the Port of New York, Chair of the Legislative Committee and Chair of the FIATA committee. Charlene represented the NCBFAA at two FIATA World Congress events.
She has many interests which include movies, theater, music, sports and travel. She enjoys sharing a meal and wine with friends and family on the weekends.
Ned Marshak
Partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK)
Ned H. Marshak is a partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK) in New York, with over four decades of experience in international trade and customs law. A Georgetown Law graduate, he began his career at U.S. Customs Service Headquarters before transitioning to private practice. Since joining GDLSK in 2004, Marshak has represented foreign manufacturers, importers, governments, and trade associations in complex matters before the Department of Commerce (DOC), U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
His expertise encompasses antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings, trade remedy investigations, customs audits, fraud inquiries, and litigation before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Notably, he was lead counsel in the landmark case Nissho Iwai American Corp. v. United States, establishing the "first sale rule" for customs valuation. Marshak has successfully led numerous high-profile cases, including securing no-injury determinations in USITC investigations on products like steel nails and fabricated structural steel.
Beyond litigation, he has served as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School for over 25 years, teaching international trade and customs law. Marshak is recognized for his strategic approach to integrating legal and technical aspects in trade matters, particularly involving China and other non-market economies.
Dharmendra N. Choudhary
Partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK)
Dharmendra N. Choudhary is a partner at Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt LLP, based in Washington, D.C. He specializes in representing foreign exporters and U.S. importers in trade remedy proceedings, including antidumping (ADD) and countervailing duty (CVD) cases before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and in litigation before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His technical background in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, along with advanced knowledge in Chemistry and Metallurgy, enables him to effectively integrate legal and technical aspects in complex trade cases.
Choudhary is recognized as an expert on surrogate value and surrogate country issues, particularly in non-market economy (NME) cases involving countries like China, Vietnam, and India. He has successfully led numerous investigations and reviews, often achieving zero or minimal duty rates. His notable cases include securing a no-injury determination in a CVD investigation on steel nails from India and eliminating ADD duties in cases involving welded steel pipes and activated carbon.
Before joining GDLSK, Choudhary served in various capacities within India's Customs and Central Excise Department from 1993 to 2006, including as Special Counsel before the CESTAT. He is actively involved with several customs and trade associations and has served as Vice Chair of Publications at the American Bar Association's International Law Section, contributing extensively to legal literature on international trade.
