Membership Value Report
2024 Performance Indicators
At The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), the work we do together creates tangible benefits for our members and the trade community at large. Our members invested in these key drivers in 2024.
Forging Partnerships
AAEI works on behalf of its members to eliminate regulatory and legislative friction to trade and customs.
Networking
AAEI’s meetings and events provide opportunities to learn about practical solutions for problems in trade.
Education
AAEI’s educational and professional development programs help members stay in-the-know.
Advocacy for Free and Fair Trade
Priority Interest
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) engagement on Forced Labor compliance
Performance
- Held quarterly meetings with DHS and CBP
- Held bi-monthly forced labor prevention task force meetings
- Provided member webinars for updates on CBP’s enforcement process
Value
- Sought clarity for compliance
- Provided path to business certainty
- Generated active engagement
- Sustained safe meeting space for importers to discuss compliance strategies
Priority Interest
- Regulatory and legislative engagement on trade facilitation elements for customs modernization
Performance
- Held quarterly meetings with CBP Leadership and Congress
- Submitted revised documents and legislative recommendations on AAEI’s core principles for the future of Customs
Value
- Leveraged stakeholder role as technical experts in shaping NextGen Customs
- Advocated for trade facilitation measures in proposed legislation to benefit members
- Provided members with means for input on all aspects of the Customs process
Priority Interest
- Regulatory and practitioner engagement on export controls and economic sanctions
Performance
- Held direct discussions with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Department of State
- Provided in-person benchmarking sessions for exporters
Value
- Provided clarity for compliance
- Helped improve business certainty
Advocacy Comments and Letters Filed in 2024
Networking with Industry Peers
AAEI’s 102nd Annual Conference & Expo was held in Washington, D.C., June 19-21, 2023, where members reunited to talk about trade policy and practice. Industry service providers met with purchasing decision-makers, and importers and exporters got “face time” with government representatives in AAEI’s Government Row of exhibit booths.
AAEI’s substantive committees provide members with in-person and virtual platforms for members to network and collaborate on the most pressing trade issues of the day. At committee meetings, members leverage one another’s expertise and experience, allowing them to think strategically about overcoming practical barriers to trade.
AAEI members leverage networking opportunities to benchmark with their industry colleagues. In a competitive business landscape, AAEI provides importers and exporters a platform for dynamic collaboration, demonstrating that, despite the competition, they do not compete on compliance.
Continuing Education
AAEI leverages its relationships with government agencies and partner organizations to offer members informative webinars on pressing trade issues. In September 2023, AAEI conducted a webinar with CBP officials to provide updates on CBP’s enforcement of forced labor regulations. AAEI also hosted a member webinar on the EU’s carbon and deforestation regulations, both of which entail extensive new requirements for importers operating in the region.
AAEI committee meetings allow members to gain valuable insights through informal benchmarking. Meetings include open discussions, where members can ask anything and learn from one another’s experiences and strategies for compliance.
AAEI’s Annual Conference provides attendees with the opportunity to earn Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) and Certified Export Specialist (CES) credits, as well as eligibility for Continuing Legal Education (CLE), to support their ongoing professional development.
AAEI's Importing 201 Educational Course allows members discounted access to continuing education for importers' compliance professionals and corporate leadership. Enroll now!
