Cecil Leong, of Bryan Cave International Trade LLC (BCIT), gave a presentation at the Western Regional Conference of the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) held in Newport Beach, California between Jan 20-22. Cecil’s presentation, entitled “Made in China” was part of panel that was looking at product safety issues and the recent Memoranda of Agreement that were signed in December 2007 between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the relevant Chinese authorities, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) that sought to improve the safety of food and feed, drugs and medical devices. The MOAs ensure that such products meet US safety standards through registration/inspection, certification and quality assurance processes.

Bryan Cave is a member of the AAEI and a sponsor for this event. AAEI has been “the national voice of the international trade community since 1921” and has within its membership, importers, exporters, retailers, distributors and service providers. More information about AAEI can be found at www.aaei.org.

As Managing Director of BCIT, Cecil leads the team of almost 30 consultants in seven different countries in Asia. BCIT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bryan Cave LLP and advises clients on government regulatory matters, Free Trade Agreements, WTO compliance, Customs, tax and transfer pricing issues.