Providing practical solutions to regulatory challenges in international trade and foreign investment, including tariffs, antidumping, export controls and CFIUS national security reviews.
Navigating Washington
Navigating international trade and foreign investment requirements can be mission critical for businesses engaged in any type of cross-border transaction, whether importing, exporting, investing or choosing suppliers. It is especially challenging for companies that do not have the in-house expertise to analyze how recent tariffs and trade wars – and resulting trade, investment and national security controls – will affect their bottom lines.
We can help.
Navigating Washington is a regulatory affairs consultancy based in Washington DC providing legal and government relations advisory services to clients facing challenges related to international trade and foreign investment. Our principals spent decades doing this work for the US Government and a global Big Law firm, and now help clients navigate through the people, process and politics that shape these issues in a results-oriented, cost-effective way through highly-customized solutions.
We help clients understand and navigate the importing, exporting and investment requirements that have an impact on their businesses. We guide clients through tariff planning and mitigation; represent them in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings; advise them on CFIUS national security reviews, export controls, sanctions, supply chain and customs issues; and, keep them current on regulatory changes. We design compliance programs, represent clients at government audits, negotiate trade and national security agreements and advise clients on how to structure transactions in a way that maximizes benefits while ensuring full compliance. Our goal is to bring as much stability to our clients’ operations as possible in the constantly evolving policy environment.
We do all this through a value-driven model for advisory services designed to manage cost without compromising quality.
Who We Are
In trade, our principals have been involved in every major international trade and tariff issue for decades, either as high-ranking public officials or representing private industry as lawyers and government-relations professionals. We have written and implemented trade laws and regulations; negotiated bilateral and multilateral trade agreements; opened markets across the globe; and, represented clients in antidumping and Customs matters.
In national security issues related to foreign investment, our principals have decades of experience representing clients in reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and other US government bodies, as well as in export controls, sanctions and compliance matters.
Strategic Partnerships
We complement our capabilities through strategic partnerships with consultants that have specialized skills, on an as-needed basis:
International Trade Insights
Vigilance on trade issues by US companies has rarely been as important as it is right now, with the United States embroiled in numerous trade disputes and tariff rates changing almost daily. The US Government has broad authority to regulate international trade transactions, powers that are enshrined in the US Constitution; delineated in federal statutes and regulations; administered by the President and a wide range of US Government agencies; and, subjected to judicial review. Given the range and complexity of the legal processes involved, it is critical for US and foreign companies engaged in international trade to understand importing and exporting requirements and the impact that governmental policies can have on their businesses. See our latest update on what you need to know.
National Security Insights
In response to mounting threats to the personal, economic and national security of Americans, the US government has implemented, expanded or co-opted extensive regulatory frameworks to protect US national security. The profile of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been raised significantly. Congress has overhauled and extended the reach of CFIUS and the executive branch has implemented new regulations, putting a microscope on foreign investment in certain sectors of the US economy, including a new program to review outbound investment in certain industry sectors and countries. US export control laws have been expanded by Congress and refocused, through dozens of executive orders, to protect emerging and foundational technologies and to keep them out of the hands of certain countries, particularly China. New programs have been put in place to examine supply chains. What is next? See our latest update on how these national security regulatory regimes interact.