Why the Blog? Why Not! But seriously...

Ever wonder where all of your possessions come from?

Being in America, so much of our daily experience is somehow connected to international trade, whether it's a result of the food we are eating, the clothes we are shopping for, or the toothpaste we're using before going to bed. As a kid, I used to wonder, "where does all of this stuff come from?" Turns out, a lot of it comes from other countries.

As a practitioner of international trade law, I definitely recognize that all of this "stuff" comes from every corner of the globe. What came as a surprise however, was how many government agencies are involved with the importation, and exportation, of virtually every single article I may have within my reach wherever I am, be it at home, the office, or the yoga studio.

These agencies set the rules and monitor, oversee, and enforce their mandates across comodities. The stated reasons generally boil down to the simple idea of protecting America, be it via a threat of food contamination, pest infestation, or more obvious threats, such as concealed weapons.

I wanted to provide a space where topics of international trade could be shared in “everyday” language in order to better educate the masses about it. That doesn’t mean there won’t be times where strict regulatory or other complex information won’t be provided, but hopefully whatever explanation goes along with it will allow for an understanding in non-lawyer terms. And if not, feel free to email me with your questions or comments!