Arthur W. Bodek

Arthur Bodek is a partner in the New York office of GDLSK. His practice is focused on import and export trade law, Customs law and other regulatory law as it relates to international trade. Much of his work centers around developing creative strategies to maximize benefits under Free Trade Agreements and a host of other duty-free/reduced duty tariff programs (e.g., U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Central American Free Trade Agreement, Generalized System of Preferences, African Growth and Opportunity Act, Caribbean Basin Initiative, and many others). A career highlight was being invited to be an attorney representative on a trade mission to Botswana and Lesotho to educate manufacturers, local businesses and government officials in how they could benefit from the AGOA and other U.S. trade laws. Mr. Bodek also works with clients to develop favorable Customs valuation and tariff classification strategies to generate Customs duty-savings as well as production-sharing and other strategies to minimize the impact of duties assessed under trade remedy provisions (e.g., China 301, Steel / Aluminum 232, etc.).  In addition, Mr. Bodek devotes significant time to issues arising under CBP forced labor Withhold Release Orders and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

Other areas where Arthur devotes much of his time include helping clients across a host of product sectors navigate their way through the complexities of country of origin rules, China 301 duties and Section 232 tariffs.  In recent years, Arthur has been particularly focused on assisting clients with forced labor enforcement proceedings under a variety of Withhold Release Orders (WROs) and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

Presently, Arthur spends much of his time counseling clients on the applicability of trade remedy tariffs (IEEPA, steel and aluminum, automotive, reciprocal tariffs, etc.) and strategies for navigating such tariffs.

Arthur regularly represents clients in connection with CBP requests, audits, investigations and enforcement actions. He is also involved in supply chain issues including those related to forced labor and sustainability as well as importer security programs such as the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).

Mr. Bodek regularly counsels clients on compliance issues and frequently speaks to trade audiences around the country and the globe on these topics.

He is the author of “United States Customs Service Audits and Record Keeping Requirements,” The Transportation Lawyer, Vol. 3 No. 4 (1994), “U.S. Customs Service Announces Sweeping Changes In Rules of Origin For Textiles and Apparel,” Apparel Trade and Transportation News (1995), and various customs updates columns in the Journal of Commerce and elsewhere.

Hofstra University School of Law J.D. with Distinction (1987)

Brandeis University B.A. (Middle East Studies) (1984)

U.S. Court of International Trade (1988)

New York State (1988)

Massachusetts (1987) (inactive)

American Bar Association

American Apparel & Footwear Association

Customs and International Trade Bar Association

Massachusetts State Bar Membership

New York State Bar Membership

U.S. Fashion Industry Association