Trade and Tariffs

In a time of shifting trade policies and regulatory complexity, our Trade & Tariff Focus Group delivers more than legal advice—we provide strategic guidance. We help business manage evolving trade relations between the U.S., ASEAN, and China, with expertise in factory relocations, supply chain restructuring, and regional free trade agreements. Whether you’re exporting to the U.S. or responding to U.S. trade investigations, we help you stay compliant, competitive, and ready for what’s next in global trade.

 

Our team ensures seamless coordination across SE Asia, and with our US collaboration.

Key Services

Factory Relocation & Supply Chain Structuring
We advise on legal aspects of relocating operations from China to ASEAN, including cross-border entity setup, trade licensing, customs registration, and origin planning to avoid substantial transformation pitfalls. We deliver integrated strategies across sourcing, manufacturing, and export, with a focus on transfer pricing, tax efficiency, and obtaining Certificates of Origin.

Contract Review & Risk Mitigation
Contracts must be built to withstand shifting tariff regimes. We review and draft agreements to embed key protections, such as:

  • Exit strategies and damage mitigation for early terminations or variations.
  • Cost-sharing mechanisms to address tariff-driven price changes.
  • Tariff pass-through clauses analyzing governing law, force majeure, and MAC.
  • Precise interpretation of Incoterms to allocate tariff responsibilities.

U.S. Tariff & Trade Compliance
Working with qualified U.S. attorneys and law firms, we support:

  • Tariff classification, valuation, and country-of-origin marking
  • Section 301 and 232 tariff analysis
  • AD/CVD compliance and defense
  • Tariff engineering and duty optimization
  • Pre- and post-entry audits, exclusion requests, and litigation support

Regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Strategy

We advise on ACFTA, AFTA, and ASEAN-U.S. mechanisms—guiding origin qualification, documentation, cumulative origin strategies, and structuring supply chains to maximize tariff savings and ensure compliance.

Who we advise

  • ASEAN-based exporters of manufactured goods, electronics, textiles, and more
  • U.S. importers sourcing from Southeast Asia
  • Global brands and manufacturers realigning supply chains in ASEAN
  • Logistics providers, customs brokers, and trade consultants

Download the DFDL Trade and Tariffs brochure.

Key Contacts

David Doran

David Doran

Founding Partner, Head of Thai Practice
Founding Partner, Head of Thai Practice
Corporate and M&A, Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure, Technology, Media and Telecoms, Trade and Tariffs
Thailand

Melissa Welebir Kuhn

Melissa Welebir Kuhn

Of Counsel
Of Counsel
Compliance and Investigations, Dispute Resolution, Trade and Tariffs

Insights

Thailand: United States Imposes New Tariffs on ASEAN Exports Under Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariff Rates

Trade and Tariffs
August 04 2025

Cambodia: New US-Cambodia Tariff Deal Sets 19% Rate – A Strategic Win for Cambodia’s Export Economy

Trade and Tariffs
August 01 2025
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