If a buyer makes a questionable export request, the smart company would turn down the business. However, the more diligent company would take the matter a step further by reporting the suspicious activity to federal authorities in charge of overseeing the country's enforcement of export regulations. Industry experts specializing in U.S. export regulatory compliance say it's in the best interest of exporters and freight forwarders to relay information about unusual shipment requests to the appropriate agency for follow-up.
"It's not about being a tattletale," said Paul DiVecchio, president of Northboro, Mass.-based DiVecchio & Associates, who has more than 30 years of experience assisting companies with their export compliance. "It's about doing the right thing and not turning a blind eye to something that's suspicious."
