I'm Jim Welch — a licensed U.S. Customs Broker with over 20 years in trade compliance. I founded Welch Customs & Trade Advisory to give importers access to structured, audit-ready compliance work that actually holds up when it matters.
For 13 years, I ran purchasing, logistics, and customs compliance for Aerzen USA — a global industrial manufacturer with complex international supply chains. I managed broker relationships, handled HTSUS classification, led C-TPAT validation to Tier II, and built the compliance controls that kept our imports clean.
After that, I moved into dedicated trade compliance roles — at West Pharmaceutical Services and CNH Industrial — where I deepened my work in tariff law analysis, classification governance, and the intersection of Section 301, Section 232, IEEPA, and AD/CVD programs.
In January 2026, I launched Welch Customs & Trade Advisory because I kept seeing the same problem: importers paying duties they don't owe, using compliance tools that don't separate IEEPA from 232, and relying on brokers who file mechanically without questioning whether the tariff even applies.
I built this practice to fix that. My approach starts with classification — not material assumptions, not country-of-origin shortcuts, not whatever the broker's system defaults to. Get the classification right, and the tariff applicability, the duty exposure, and the refund eligibility all fall into place.
I also build tools. The IEEPA Refund Screener is a 9-tab, 521-formula Excel workbook I created because I needed it for my own client work — and realized every other broker and importer needed it too.
From purchasing and logistics management to dedicated trade compliance advisory.
Independent customs brokerage and trade advisory practice. Specializing in tariff classification, duty recovery, IEEPA/Section 232/301 compliance, and import cost optimization. Currently advising a German pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer on U.S. import compliance.
Supporting U.S. import compliance and customs classification within a global agricultural and construction equipment manufacturing environment. HTSUS classification, duty-stacking analysis, and compliance audit support.
Executed and maintained trade compliance programs for North America locations. Ensured compliance for cross-border transactions across procurement and sales activities.
Led purchasing, logistics, and U.S. customs compliance for 13 years. Managed broker relationships, HTSUS classification, country-of-origin determinations, FTA eligibility, and C-TPAT participation. Achieved C-TPAT Tier II validation.
Passed the October 2015 Customs Broker Exam. License obtained February 2016.
I don't just answer questions. I build systems that produce correct results consistently — and I document everything so your team can maintain it.
Tariff applicability is determined by HTS classification — not material composition assumptions, not country-of-origin shortcuts. Get the classification right and everything downstream falls into place.
Every engagement has a defined scope, a clear deliverable, and a formal recommendation. No open-ended retainers. No vague advisory. You know what you're getting before the work starts.
Everything I produce is designed to withstand CBP scrutiny. Classification memos, broker instructions, and compliance frameworks are built to the standard a regulator expects — not just what's convenient.
Whether you need a classification review, an entry audit, or IEEPA refund screening — I'll give you a straight answer.