Beata K. Spuhler

Customs & International Trade

Beata counsels companies on import and export-related issues, as well as transportation and logistics, responsible sourcing, and the avoidance of forced labor. 

She has deep experience in free trade and other duty preference programs, customs valuation and transfer pricing, country of origin and marking analysis, and harmonized tariff determinations. Beata guides companies in all aspects of compliance with the importing requirements of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and partner government agencies (e.g., FDA and EPA), as well as U.S. government contracts qualifications. She is also experienced in the customs laws and requirements of Mexico, Canada, the European Union, as well as Latin American, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific nations.

With the increased tariffs under the current administration, Beata can help multinational clients to implement sophisticated tariff mitigation strategies to relieve the impact of higher duty rates. Her wide-ranging experience with a multinational company where she was deeply involved in a major business spin-off, other acquisitions and divestitures, and led the transformation of the trade compliance organization makes her uniquely positioned to assist companies seeking advice on trade compliance reporting structures, assessing maturity and potential gaps within a trade function, and developing future strategies for compliance.

Internal & Governmental Investigations

Beata leads internal risk assessment reviews to identify potential compliance risks, including interviews with key stakeholders, review of financial and business records, and recommended compliance actions. She manages external government audits and investigations, and prepares voluntary disclosures and penalty petitions.  

In addition, Beata regularly trains trade compliance professionals and other company stakeholders on various trade topics and develops internal controls for companies.

Prior Experience

The majority of Beata’s decade with 3M was spent as in-house counsel focusing primarily on global international trade matters covering all aspects of trade compliance. She also supported the responsible sourcing and transportation teams. In her last few years at 3M, Beata led the global trade compliance organization, managing compliance risks and daily trade operations for all subsidiaries. In this role, she formed a trade performance management team to gather and report out metrics to executive leadership, spearheaded tariff mitigation strategies and c-suite communications, championed business resiliency projects, and made trade management software strategy decisions.

Personal Interests

In her free time, Beata enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, reading, painting, hiking, pickleball, and travel.