Trade Resources Analytics, LLC

Trade Insight, Focused on Results

Trade Resources Analytics is an independent consulting firm that provides specialized economic and financial services to legal counsel representing exporters of manufactured and agricultural products.

We help exporters from around the world to improve their trading capabilities. With proven skills in complex cases and exceptional strength in creative problem solving and analytics, our consultants have advised clients in numerous antidumping and countervailing duty investigations since 1983.

Our success stems from combining attention to detail with strategic insight derived from a wide array of trade cases. Global experience and connections enable us to respond to clients’ needs in many different industries and countries. Our boutique-style, personalized and high quality service in every project saves our clients significant time and resources.

The firm's founder and principal is Beril Lapson, a leading expert with over 38 years of experience in the analysis of trade cases.

Trade Resources Analytics offers the following services:

Antidumping


Dumping is selling a product in a foreign market at less than the product’s “normal value”. Normal value is determined by comparing the prices of sales to the import market with sales prices in a comparison market (either the exporter’s domestic market or a third-country market) or a constructed value based on the full cost of production.
Antidumping refers to a body of laws in many nations to deal with allegations by domestic producers that an imported product has been sold at a price below “normal value”, and has caused injury to the domestic industry, contrary to international treaties.

Trade Resources Analytics has assisted law firms on behalf of exporters from many parts of the world in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations and compliance reviews. TRA works with client personnel to extract accounting and financial information from companies’ internal books and records to respond to complex questionnaires issued by the government authorities in these investigations. Typically, such information is not readily available in most companies’ sales and accounting systems. We work closely with the company’s counsel and staff in virtually all aspects of a case: formulating initial response strategies; preparing responses to questionnaires and supplemental submissions; verification; and the public hearing process.

Our services include:

  • Planning the response strategy;

  • Reviewing and analyzing the company's operations, production facilities, marketing, shipping, and data systems;

  • Guiding company management and staff to comply with the requirements of the antidumping questionnaires;

  • Developing verifiable methodologies to compute product-specific cost of production;

  • Reconciling sales and cost data to the company's financial statements;

  • Preparing the company for the thorough audits (called “verifications”) by government officials. We participate in verifications on the company’s behalf and assist in presenting supporting calculations and documents.

  • Calculating estimated dumping margins to assist the client’s counsel and management;

  • Analyzing the preliminary and final findings of the authority and identifying areas for challenge;

  • Participating in public hearings to present arguments in support or opposition of the findings;

  • Designing price monitoring systems and pricing strategies to reduce client's exposure to future duties.

Countervailing Duty Investigations

Importing nations impose countervailing duties (CVD) to offset subsidies received by exporters from their home nations, causing injury to the domestic industry, contrary to international treaties.

Trade Resources Analytics assists clients in CVD investigations, particularly in the development of the overall response methodology and in preparing responses to questionnaires. By using our accounting, financial, and economic expertise, we can assist our clients in determining whether alleged benefits that exporters receive from their home jurisdictions are subsidies subject to countervailing duties.

We provide support throughout all phases of the CVD process, including preparing for and actively participating in the verification and analyzing the administering authority’s findings to determine the accuracy of the calculations.

Customs Compliance

Working with legal counsel, Trade Resources Analytics assists firms in the organization and synthesis of the information required in Customs-related investigations. We have experience in classification and valuation matters, on-site examinations, formal customs audits and transfer pricing issues.

Trade Resources Analytics assists importers involved in Compliance Assessment. We can help develop a controlled assessment methodology to review the company's import procedures and internal controls, and provide guidance in developing written procedures acceptable to Customs. The firm also can help identify areas or instances of non-compliance with Customs laws and regulations, assist in the submission of prior disclosures to Customs, and recommend improvements in company import procedures and documentation to prevent recurrence.

Strategy and Planning

Trade Resources Analytics has practical experience gained by working with companies of different sizes from around the world in a wide variety of industries. Our clients range from small family-owned businesses to major multinationals. We bring to each client and project our broad familiarity with different products, accounting systems, sectors and management information systems.

Our consultants rapidly understand the sales and accounting practices and information systems of our clients and form a strategic overview as well as developing detailed analyses. In addition, TRA has guided numerous companies to successfully prepare and undergo intensive and thorough government audits and investigations.

Few firms can match our skill set to identify the critical details and risks. As a client, you will deal with a senior consultant with deep experience, rather than fresh graduates who are in “on-the-job" training.

Systems and Data Processing

Trade Resources Analytics can assist clients in the organization and synthesis of quantitative information.

We have experience with varied types of data and clients, having worked with numerous companies and industries around the world. Our data analysis capability enables us to evaluate multiple scenarios and variables to establish the best strategy. We frequently use SAS statistical analysis software for data analysis, which is the same software used by the U.S. Department of Commerce analysts in the antidumping investigations and reviews.

About Beril Lapson

Beril Lapson, a founding partner of Trade Resources Analytics, LLC (and its predecessor Trade Resources Company), is a leading authority on cost of production and sales response methodologies for antidumping investigations before the U.S. Department of Commerce. He is an expert in cost accounting and international transfer pricing issues. Mr. Lapson has participated in almost 200 antidumping and countervailing duty matters in the United States and in other jurisdictions and has served as an expert witness on cost accounting in arbitration proceedings. He has published articles on cost-of-production, transfer-pricing and antidumping issues. Beril Lapson has also worked with counsel in US Customs review activities. Previously, he was employed by a major accounting firm and served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Commerce, conducting some of the earliest cost of production verifications and analyses for the Department. Prior to that Beril Lapson was an engineer engaged in R&D in telecommunications. Beril Lapson holds an MBA degree and advanced engineering degrees, all from Columbia University. He is a life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

Experience

Trade Resources Analytics' consultants have assisted law firms and represented exporters directly in almost two hundred antidumping and countervailing duty matters.

See TRA's depth of experience.

Contact Info

Trade Resources Analytics

Attn: Beril Lapson

New York, NY

Email: b.lapson@normalvalue.com

Tel.: +1 212-866-1040

Mobile: +1 917-292-0467