Alexander H. Schaefer
Counsel
aschaefer@crowell.com

Washington
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004-2595
Phone: 202.624.2773
Fax: 202.628.5116

V-Card

Alexander H. Schaefer is counsel in the International Trade Group at the firm's Washington, D.C. office. Alex's practice involves representing clients contending with U.S. import regulations, including the customs and trade remedies laws. He assists clients with a broad range of Customs issues, including tariff classification, import valuation, focused assessment audits, penalty proceedings, prior disclosures, reconciliation, special duty programs, and free trade agreements. In addition, Alex has represented both petitioners and respondents in a variety of trade remedy cases, including antidumping, countervailing duty, and Section 201 proceedings before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Alex is a member of the International Trade Group's duty recovery team, which helps companies identify opportunities to minimize import duty outlays and cut supply chain costs to increase profitability. Alex also works closely with the firm's Product Risk Management Group, which helps clients in a broad range of industries identify potential legal risks associated with new products and ventures as well as providing advice on risk management tactics and protocols.

Representative recent engagements include:

  • Customs counsel to Avecia Inc. in Avecia Inc. v. United States, in which Avecia successfully challenged U.S. Customs and Border Protection's classification of certain ink jet printing inks, resulting in a reduction in import duties from 7-12 percent to 1.8 percent.
  • Represented a multinational chemical company in a customs liquidated damages proceeding and mitigated damages from over $13 million to less than $100,000.
  • Secured the dismissal at the preliminary phase of the antidumping duty investigation of imports of polyvinyl alcohol from Taiwan on the ground that the U.S. industry had failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of material injury or threat of material injury (currently on appeal).

Alex received his B.A. in Government/International Relations from Cornell University and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law (International Business Transactions track); he is a member of the bars of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Admissions/Affiliations

Admitted to practice: District of Columbia, Virginia, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Member: American Bar Association International Section, D.C. Bar International Section, Customs and International Trade Bar Association

Publications


  • "U.S. Customs: A Practitioner's Guide to Principles, Processes, and Procedures," International Practitioner's Deskbook Series, American Bar Association (2009). Contributor: Ch. 2: Clearing CUstoms; Ch. 6: Duty Savings Opportunities; Ch. 8: Administrative and Judicial Review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Decisions: Nicole M. Jenkins and Alexander H. Schaefer.

Alerts & Newsletters


Speaking Engagements


  • "Customs and Trade: The Price of Admission: Managing the New Import Regulation Model and Avoiding Pitfalls at the Border," Crowell & Moring Product Risk Management Seminar (October 19, 2011). Moderator: Laurent Ruessmann. Panelists: Leigh Schmid (Limited Brands); Alex Schaefer.

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