Mr. Ryota Suzuki provides research and data compliance assistance relating to international trade, cross-border transactions, and customs rules and regulations in Thailand. He also works on customs matters, such as valuation, tariff code classification, duty refunds, free trade agreement developments in Thailand, customs privileges and Board of Investment (“BOI”) regulations and privileges, especially for Japanese clients doing business in Japan and Thailand. He advises clients on optimizing Customs and BOI privileges, as well as assists in the application for such privileges, including ensuring that reporting to the Customs Department and the BOI complies with customs rules and regulations and BOI requirements.

Select Representations

• Prepared manuals on operational procedures for several clients in export processing zone (“EPZ”) and/or customs free zone (“CFZ”) to assist them to comply with relevant laws and regulations for the export processing zone and/or customs free zone (e.g., inventory control, criteria for establishment and operating, application procedure for establishing/operating in the EPZ/CFZ and procedures for importing/exporting goods into and out of the EPZ/CFZ).

• Created a manual on the use of tariff preferences under Thailand-Japan Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) and the use of customs duty reduction privilege for goods removed from the export processing zone for domestic sale for a major electronics manufacturer located in the export processing zone (covering criteria of eligibility for tax privilege, flow charts, application procedures, and supporting documents to apply for the tax privileges).

• Conducted customs reviews for clients in various industries, particularly, automotive, chemicals, electronics, steels, etc. in order to ensure their compliance with customs requirements and identify risk exposures.
  

• Prepared reports and presentations on customs review for the clients to report on customs risks exposures and provide suggestions or remedies for such risks.

• Prepared a study on the investment (foreign investment restrictions, incentives, direct/indirect tax, double tax treaties, transfer pricing, etc.), customs (import/export procedures, import duties, excise tax, drawback, valuation, customs and BOI privileges, etc.), and other regulatory conditions (required business license, health and safety requirements, consumption/sale restrictions, advertising restrictions, etc.) relating to the establishment of different types of foreign business entities (e.g., representative office, branch office, distribution center, retail, wholesale).

• Provided assistance in researching information relating customs and free trade agreements between Thailand and Japan, and also other countries.

• Bachelor Degree of Psychology, Yokohama City University, Japan.

• Japanese, English, Thai.