Agent carries the can for AGOA compliance

JOY ORLEK CHOOSING A forwarding agent with specialist AGOA expertise is crucial to export success. “As an agent you can often be held accountable for the process,” says UPS Supply Chain Solutions director Thore Saether. “The shipper will often receive relatively small penalties for compliance infringements, but the pressure and responsibility to perform the requisite checks and audits is absolutely on our shoulders. “Under most Vendor Compliance agreements we’re expected to know the processes, to train the vendors and to monitor their performance against the required criteria.” A large flow of orders to America is often controlled via Asia. “You are expected by the clients to act as a vetting agent as well as an international transport agent on matters of procedures, policy and accuracy of documentation,” says UPS forwarding manager Dirk Swanepoel. “If the vendor doesn’t produce quality and quantity on time and have documentation ready, he could lose all or part of the business the following purchase season. "We don't generally have problems due to our training and ensure that clients are constantly updated through regular workshops countrywide," he said.