Zhiwei Chen
Zhiwei Chen concentrates his practice on international trade, customs and regulatory compliance law.
Clients benefit from his extensive experience and insight in managing the risks and maximizing the opportunities associated with China’s increasing regulation of international trade in goods and services. Mr. Chen brings to clients an unusual blend of regulatory, transactional, and litigation experience, which makes him a trusted adviser on various complex China customs and regulatory compliance issues.
With his nuanced understanding of regulatory landscapes, Mr. Chen regularly helps multinational and Fortune 500 clients create business strategies to optimize supply chain models, develop corporate compliance procedures and provide training, conduct internal audits or investigations and navigate self-disclosure to customs and other regulatory agencies. Clients also regularly call up Mr. Chen to represent them in customs audits and in dealing with seizures, forfeitures and other enforcement actions. He has successfully defended Fortune 500 companies in a number of high-profile customs audit and investigation cases, including a primary case investigated directly under the supervision of China's General Administration of Customs.
Mr. Chen's practice also extends to other China regulatory issues, including cross-border e-commerce, inspections and quarantine, cybersecurity law, encryption law, compulsory product certification, product safety standards, labeling, and food, drug and medical device registration issues.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Chen was a practicing attorney at a leading customs and trade compliance law firm in Shanghai. In this capacity, he advised multinational clients on a wide range of China customs issues, including customs valuation, classification, country of origin, processing trade, transfer pricing, royalty and license fees, export control, export tax refund, inspection and quarantine, free trade agreement (FTA) benefits, authorized economic operators (AEO) matters, customs special supervision zones, customs compliance audit, voluntary self-disclosure, customs investigation, white-collar crime and criminal defense. Mr. Chen also has experience in World Trade Organization (WTO) law. One of his most notable achievements was successfully representing the domestic industry in China’s first anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation case, which concerned imports of grain oriented flat-rolled electrical steel imported from the United States and Russia.