Certifications For Import/Export Compliance Professionals
- Jan 2
- 4 min read
Dear Import/Export Compliance Manager,
I want to improve my trade compliance skills and make myself more valuable within my current organization, as well as to potential future employers. I am a Licensed Customs Broker already. What certifications do you recommend, either for export or for overall import/export compliance?
Motivated in Modesto
Dear Motivated,
You’ve hit upon a problem for those of us in the field of import/export compliance: there is no overarching certification that is valid, understood and accepted by everyone as a measure of someone’s abilities as a import/export compliance professional and/or their import/export compliance knowledge. Let’s face it, even having the status of Licensed Customs Broker does not guarantee you’re great at U.S. import compliance; it means that you have good test-taking skills and you passed the exam. Since there isn’t just one certification, for-profit companies, have, quite rationally, stepped in to fill the void with their own individual programs doling out certifications such as CUSECO, ITCC and CCLS. But which one(s) do you choose?
The only truly valid certification endorsed, recognized and used by the US Government is the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential offered by NASBITE International, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Unfortunately, only about 25% of the CGBP deals with customs, imports, exports and related regulatory requirements. The important thing about the CGPB is it’s a model certification program. NASBITE International took the time to do it right to ensure all the correct checks and balances and no conflicts of interest.
Before proceeding, the difference between a certificate and a certification must be noted. The former is a sheet of paper you receive at the end of a program stating that you have taken the program and satisfactorily met its requirements of knowledge, usually by passing a test. Certification, however, is a comprehensive program that tests your knowledge, skills and competency, essentially providing a much better assessment for your supervisor and prospective employers of how good you really are. Thus, it is important, when you are determining which program to sign up for and sink either your or your organization’s money into, to know the difference. You cannot afford to not do your homework.
The problem is, however, that many hiring managers, including the Import/Export Compliance Manager, don’t know much about any of the programs and therefore won’t put any additional weight on the value of one acronym/program over another. We don’t know which ones are worth something and which ones are not. The evidence of having achieved either a certificate or certification, therefore, would be similar to seeing an ‘LCB’ after your name on a job application: a sign that you are serious about improving yourself in the world of import/export compliance. The Import/Export Compliance Manager doesn’t necessarily think more highly of someone who has passed the Customs’ Broker’s Exam versus someone who failed it; the important thing is the will to study for it and take it. It is the mark of having attempted the exam in the first place that will get someone’s foot in the door; the same logic applies to the certifications. If interested, the hiring manager should ferret out how useful the program was during a job interview.
Some managers, however, will be very much aware of specific programs, perhaps having attended them themselves. Therefore, it may very well be that having taken a strong program and having that strong program acknowledged and understood by a hiring manager could be a major advantage for you.
Regardless of awareness of each certificate or certification by the manager, what is infinitely more important in making the determination of how capable you are or how well you will be able to meet the requirements of a new position is your past. What challenges, responsibilities and tasks did you have and how well did you do your job? This applies even if you have no direct import/export compliance experience; many or most managers are looking for someone with talent who can learn the import/export compliance material on the job. Therefore, to answer your question, there are no programs that the Import/Export Compliance Manager recommends nor are there any he does not recommend. This is partially due to ignorance, having never taken any or asked others for their opinions, and partially due to, well, until a set universally agreed upon standard emerges that everyone hops onto, well, it’s not incredibly important.
Will there ever be a set standard akin to the Customs Broker’s Exam (a certificate, not a certification) from U.S. Customs and Border Protection? Word is that the applicable U.S. government agencies will bless a standard as long as it is not for the benefit of a for-profit company but they do not want to expend resources to create the standard, implement it, audit it, etc. For-profit companies have not all coalesced around one standard and really, why should they? After all, the companies in the business may not want to rock the boat presuming they are satisfied with the revenue their business and their offerings are bringing in. Standards have been created for export compliance by a group of highly-experienced volunteers called the Coalition for Excellence in Export Compliance (CEEC) http://www.ceecbestpractices.org/best-practices-standards-workgroup.html, but they have not been implemented into anyone’s curriculum that the Import/Export Compliance Manager is aware of. Perhaps some providers that don’t yet have a program will latch onto CEEC as a standard.
To reiterate, achieving one of the existed import/export compliance certificates won’t hurt you. For those who have never worked in import/export compliance, it would be a mark of seriousness to have one that would set them apart from other job applicants. For those who already have good experience, it could be minimally helpful but might not be that important; real-world experience is much, much more valuable. Any readers of the Import/Export Compliance Manager are encouraged to leave comments about their experiences with individual programs or their advice so that perhaps we all move a little further forward toward having standardized certifications for import/export compliance, import compliance and/or export compliance excellence.
If you would like to get another opinion and some additional information, John Priecko of Trade Compliance Solutions has written more extensively on this subject. His articles are here and here.
Comments