Calendar of International Training and
Events
The Massachusetts Export Center offers a wide variety of training events for both the beginner and advanced exporter. Please take a moment to read our training and registration process located at the bottom of this page.
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2025 Training Calendar Unless otherwise noted, training is offered online. |
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Program Descriptions
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Tariffs: What Has Happened, What Could Come and How to Prepare During the first months of the Trump administration, the trade community has faced uncertainty as a result of trade-related executive orders and potential threats of retaliatory and reciprocal tariffs. Just weeks into his second term, Donald Trump was the first president to use International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to issue executive orders immediately imposing tariffs following the declaration of a national emergency related to national security, foreign policy, or the economy. China, Mexico and Canada were initial targets for retaliatory tariffs, with more to come. President Trump also recently announced a plan to impose so-called “fair and reciprocal” trade tariffs on major US trading partners and has suggested that his administration will impose additional import tariffs on specific types of goods, such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. This timely program will cover recent executive orders and other proposed actions and outline steps that exporters and importers could take to mitigate risk and potential ramifications for their global operations. Companies need to be prepared for retaliatory tariffs by the US trading partners, higher costs due to additional tariffs and increased scrutiny by US Customs & Border Protection. The speakers will discuss measures that exporters and importers could take to proactively mitigate such actions. Please, join us and bring your questions! Our speakers will be:
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025 |
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New EAR Changes in Emerging Technologies: Advanced Computing, AI and Biotechnology Are your export compliance processes up-to-date? Over the last six months, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced multiple changes to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) around emerging technologies. Specifically, there were vast and complex changes in the areas of advanced computing, semiconductors, AI, and biotechnology. The changes include the modification or creation of new defined terms, new export control classification numbers (ECCNs), new license exceptions, modified reasons for control, and new foreign direct product rules. Join us as we walk through these EAR updates to gain an understanding of how they will impact exporting businesses, and learn best practices for implementing procedures to maintain compliance under these new regulations. Our speaker will be Jennifer Saak, Managing Director with Traliance. Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
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Compliance Clinic (Compliance Alliance members only) Calling all Compliance Alliance members! Join us for a discussion between exporters that will allow participants to compare notes on export compliance practices that have been effective in addressing some of the challenges in today’s ever-changing regulatory environment. All topics are on the table. No agenda, no PowerPoints – just a give-and-take discussion between trade compliance professionals. This will be conducted in a Zoom meeting format. So, bring your compliance questions and concerns and be prepared to participate in what we hope to be a lively discussion. Joining us will be fellow Compliance Alliance members Alexandra López-Casero, Partner with the law firm of Nixon Peabody, who will be on hand to field questions on trade controls needing legal expertise. Kristen Morneau, Compliance Director with OCEANAIR freight forwarding company will also be on hand to provide context on tariff concerns as needed. Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025 |
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Upping Your Screening Due Diligence to Match the Current Regulatory Environment Restricted and denied party screening is much more than just screening for names of individuals and companies that appear on restricted lists. Recent regulations have raised expectations of the screening practices and techniques that companies should use to prevent unauthorized shipment or diversion of their products. Address screening has become especially important since the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) introduced a significant update to the Entity List by including address-only entries. BIS recommends that exporters and re-exporters screen both the name and address of a party to an export transaction to comply with license requirements that may apply to certain addresses and to monitor certain “red flags” that require additional due diligence such as near-matches to addresses on the Entity List and co-location with a listed entity. BIS also expects enhanced due diligence from exporters dealing with Common High Priority List items, which Russia seeks to procure for its weapons programs. For transactions involving CHPL items, BIS recommends screening against the list provided by the Trade Integrity Project (TIP), a non-government U.K. entity that monitors military and dual-use trade with Russia and has identified parties in third countries with a recent history of exporting CHPL items to Russia. There are also screening risks that can’t be addressed by list-based screening such as screening for military end-users and end-uses, as well as for military intelligence end-use, when shipping certain products to some countries, including China, Venezuela, Burma, Cambodia and Belarus. As a result of increased screening expectations, exporters face higher risk of triggering violations due to the complexity of validating high-risk addresses, the increased screening burden, and the enhanced scrutiny and documentation necessary to remain compliant. This webinar will discuss how companies can up their game by enhancing their screening due diligence in response to the current regulatory requirements. Our speaker will be Tahlia Townsend, Partner, International Trade Compliance and Litigation with Wiggin and Dana LLP. Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 |
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Breaking Through the Knowledge Silos at Your Firm to Ensure Trade Compliance Is your company entangled in knowledge silos? Often, silos are put in place to provide safety from the sensitive information they contain from being accessed, whether nefariously or by chance. However, when it comes to trade compliance practices, knowledge silos may be inadvertently created within departments due to lack of information sharing, legacy information systems, and clusters of procedures that are not broadly applied, all of which are detrimental to companies, putting them at risk for violations. Employees may go about doing their jobs and have access to a lot of information that may constitute "knowledge" whether they know it or not. Some of the information they are presented with may be meaningless within their daily responsibilities, however, certain details may point to potential export or sanctions risks. Knowledge—as defined by BIS—includes knowing that a violation may occur, or awareness of a high probability of violation may occur in the present or future. Many employees often do not recognize the importance of the evidence that they have been provided with, or that it creates knowledge. More importantly, because of this lack of awareness the information is not relayed to their designated compliance professional to conduct due diligence and assess any regulatory concerns. Break through the knowledge silos! Join us as our speakers discuss best practices for creating awareness across all departments regarding the acquisition of knowledge important for trade compliance, and developing communication practices that will reduce the risk of violation. Our speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 |
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Trump on Trade: The First 100 Days and Beyond International trade has been at the forefront of the Trump Administration’s agenda, and yet the future of trade policy across a number of areas still remains somewhat unclear. President Trump released the America First Trade Policy Memorandum in January 2025 and, with a focus on enhancing our national edge on technology, called on his cabinet members to cooperatively review economic security, the U.S. relationship with China and unfair trade, and report back by April 1, 2025, in preparation for the 100 day mark of his second term. The Memorandum requested an assessment of fair trade practices and emergency economic issues, which we have seen playing out in daily news cycles with the implementation of tariffs on some of our key trading partners, as well as universal tariffs on steel and aluminum. Foreign investment policy was also flagged for review, which led to the release of the America First Investment Policy Memorandum in February. Additionally, the January Memorandum called for assessments of trade compliance and enforcement, specifically identifying and eliminating loopholes in existing export controls, analyzing enforcement policies and practices, and reassessing Free Trade Agreements for the purpose of renegotiation. Adapting to these new policy directives, whether having been announced or pending announcement, are expected to have significant impact on businesses now and in the future. Join us to hear practical guidance for how global businesses can address the changes affecting their trade operations now and prepare for what may come. This webinar will assess the shifts in trade and tariff policies, the future of export controls, China retaliatory controls, economic sanctions, regulatory enforcement and free trade policy. We will also touch on trade-tangential issues such as outbound and inbound investment reviews. Bring your questions! Our speakers will be:
Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 |
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GPSR: What US Exporters Need to Know About the New EU General Product Safety Regulation The EU's new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) was implemented in December 2024, introducing significant new compliance requirements for products supplied to EU consumers. The GPSR modernizes the EU's product safety framework and introduces new responsibilities for businesses throughout supply chains, both D2C and B2B, making it essential for US exporters to understand their obligations. The law has a wide scope, applying to products used by consumers even if not intended for them, and covering connected devices, software and AI as well as physical goods. The new obligations will change how you:
The GPSR also shifts the regulatory enforcement landscape in the EU, with potentially severe consequences for US businesses whose products are non-compliant. This webinar will provide an overview of the GPSR, the new obligations for US exporters, and the practical steps to meet the EU's requirements. Our speakers will be:
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025 |
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Triangulating the Trump Trade Agenda: Tips and Tools for Addressing Policy Changes With a daily flurry of international trade-related executive orders, policy memoranda, and social media posts, businesses are struggling to make sense of U.S. international trade rules and policy priorities. This whirlwind of information has caused uncertainty for businesses attempting to understand how and when they will be affected by trade policy changes, making it difficult to identify priorities and prepare. Join us to gain practical advice on assessing and addressing future actions in real time. This program will review the latest trade-related actions from the Trump Administration, including executive orders, policy and off-the-cuff statements that trade compliance professionals should be aware of when working to address policy changes and maintain compliance. Our speakers will be:
Date: Friday, June 6, 2025 |
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Training and Registration Details - Please Read Registration: Preregistration is required for all events. Each training event has a separate registration page. Please register for all events first and then make a single credit card payment for the total amount due. The registration and payment systems are not integrated, so you need to know the total amount due. Registration for in-person events typically closes at 12 noon on the business day prior to the event. Walk-ins are allowed unless an event is full. If full, the status will be noted on this web page (see walk-in section below). Our training events are supported by federal taxpayer funds. By registering, you certify that you are legally authorized to receive services funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, in accordance with applicable federal law and Executive Order 14218 ‘Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders’ (February 19, 2025). Payment: We require payment at the time of registration via credit card. For free events and free for Compliance Alliance members, disregard any payment instructions. If you are on the credit card payment page, close your browser and do not enter a payment. You will be required to enter a security code to process your credit card payment. The code will be sent from noreply@nelnet.net with a subject of "Requested Security Code". Please add this email to your approved sender list. Cancellations/Refunds: If you cancel your registration at least 48 hours prior to the event, you will be entitled to a refund minus a $10 processing fee. No refund will be given on notifications received after that time or in any no-show situation. All cancellation and refund requests must be submitted via email to training@massexport.org. The Export Center reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a seminar due to insufficient enrollment or other circumstances. In the case of cancellation, registration fees will be refunded. Verification Codes are sent with the subject of "Massachusetts SBDC : Email Verification" from centeric@clients.msbdc.org. We use this email address frequently, so please add it to your approved sender list. If you don't receive the verification code in your inbox, check your spam folder. If you still don't find the code, send an email by clicking here and we will help you. Bypass the verification code process by creating a password! The confirmation from this address does not contain the login details (see next bullet). Login Details: Zoom logins are sent via Constant Contact from the Massachusetts Export Center at exportcenter@massexport.org with a subject of "Login Details". Please add this email address to your approved sender list. If you don't find the login email and it's not in your spam folder, your company may be blocking it. Walk-Ins (in-person events): If the program description on our website or registration form indicates that the seminar is full, walk-ins are not allowed. Otherwise, you may complete a walk-in registration and bring the completed form to seminar. If the seminar has a fee, you must make a credit card payment in advance as we do not accept credit cards at the door. Please bring a copy of your payment receipt, along with the completed walk-in registration form. No Shows: Due to the costs we incur as a result of people who register for seminars and do not attend or cancel, we will bill unpaid registrants for the full cost of the seminar unless cancelled at least 48 hours prior to the event. For free seminars, no shows who don't cancel will be charged a fee to cover food and materials costs. Already registered for export training, but forgot to pay? Click on button below or the credit card logos to use our secure credit card payment system. Before you make your payment, there will be a multifactor authentication with a security code. The email is from noreply@nelnet.net with a subject of "Requested Security Code". Please add this email address to your approved sender list. The charge on your credit card statement will show as "Mass Export Center". Seminars are offered a at nominal fee; therefore we do not offer any discount pricing. Seminar materials are for attendees only. If you have questions or need help, please email training@massexport.org.
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