AAEI is spotlighting members who are helping lead the Association on key issues, initiatives and projects. This week, the spotlight is on Christopher Smith of IKEA.
Christopher has been a key member of AAEI’s drafting teams on the Association’s two biggest trade priorities over the last 12 months, Customs Modernization and Forced Labor compliance. He has been an active member of AAEI’s Border Interagency Committee (formerly RIC), Customs Policy and Procedures Committee, and International Policy Committee, as well as the 21st Century Customs Framework Subcommittee, U.S.-China Trade Policy Subcommittee. His perspective as an importer has provided the foundations for AAEI’s comments on the Uyghur Forced labor Prevention Act and AAEI’s Customs Modernization white paper. He helped write AAEI’s talking points on Forced Labor and the 21st Century Customs Framework, which has been the basis of AAEI’s oral and written advocacy on both critical issues.
At IKEA, Christopher is a trade advisor in the Customs Coordination Center, North America for IKEA Purchasing Services (US) Inc. His responsibilities include establishing and maintaining corporate compliance with all US Customs and other Government agency regulations, assist in communicating compliance requirements globally in the IKEA organization, develop and manage Customs related projects for North America. Prior to IKEA, he was Import Compliance Specialist for Eastman Kodak Company in warehouse and logistics.