Porto Metropolitan Area
I've spent four decades making global customs simple and the last decade convincing businesses that simple doesn't mean easy. My career has taken me from customs brokerage in South Africa to representing Angola at the WCO Technical Committee on Customs Valuation in Brussels, through 14 years as Director of VAT & Customs for Lear Corporation across Asia Pacific, and most recently as a senior adviser at KPMG China and PwC China during the height of the US-China trade war. I now run a specialist UK customs and trade compliance practice through International Trade Matters Ltd, advising businesses across the EU, UK, and Asia on the compliance challenges that matter most. What I've learned across those four decades: customs compliance fails at the governance layer, not the technical one. Companies invest in technology, hire brokers, and train staff but when the post-clearance audit arrives, the exposure almost always traces back to a disconnect between commercial arrangements and customs declarations, or a board that treated compliance as a back-office function until it became a crisis. My practice focuses on three areas where that gap most often bites: Transfer pricing and customs valuation the intersection that most TP advisers and customs teams still handle in isolation, and where the financial exposure is greatest. I participated in the WCO's technical committee work on this issue for six years and currently deliver practitioner training on WCO Case Studies 14.1–14.4. E-commerce and platform trade compliance advising platform operators and digital marketplace businesses on UK and EU regulatory frameworks, including the 2026 platform importer-of-record liability shift and the pathway to AEO-C and Centralised Clearance. SME compliance system-building helping growing businesses move from reactive crisis management to a structured, auditable trade compliance program anchored to international governance standards. I'm a regular speaker and webinar host on customs valuation, anti-dumping, rules of origin, and supply chain compliance. If you're navigating a customs challenge or trying to build the systems to avoid one I offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation. Connect or message me directly. 📧 [email protected] 🌐 www.internationaltradematters.com 📞 +44 (0) 333 7722 565
Senior Customs, Trade & Indirect Tax Adviser International Trade Matters Ltd | 2024 – Present | Porto, Portugal (UK & EU practice) International Trade Matters Ltd is a UK specialist customs and trade compliance practice founded by Linda Middleton-Jones. I lead the technical advisory practice, working with clients across the UK, EU, and Asia on customs valuation, classification, rules of origin, trade remedies, and regulatory compliance. Selected engagements and deliverables: • E-commerce platform compliance — advising a major international e-commerce platform operator on UK and EU regulatory readiness, customs valuation methodology, sets classification, and AEO-C strategy ahead of the EU's 2026 platform importer-of-record liability shift. • IP rights compliance — advising an industrial instrumentation business on inward processing relief authorisation and IPR compliance framework, including formal advisory guidelines and HMRC engagement strategy. • Food labelling compliance — cross-border label compliance review for a UK premium food manufacturer across Canadian and US regulatory frameworks (SFCR, FDA 21 CFR Parts 101 and 150, Health Canada FOP). • Transfer pricing and customs valuation training — design and delivery of a 3-hour practitioner programme on WCO TCCV Case Studies 14.1–14.4 (Article 1.2(a), arm's length testing, compensatory adjustments, post-clearance audit risk). • SME compliance system-building — development of a full UK SME IPR Compliance Manual, Anti-Dumping Due Diligence frameworks, and a Global Supply Chain Management webinar suite. Webinars hosted and delivered: Building a Practical Customs & Trade Compliance System | Introduction to Anti-Dumping Duty | Transfer Pricing Documentation in Related Party Customs Valuation | Global Supply Chain Management
Trade Compliance Strategist | 30+ Years Across Customs, Brokerage, Reform & Big 4 Advisory Global supply chains? I’ve been in the trenches. From frontline customs operations and freight forwarding, to leading reform programs and advising multinationals—I bring three decades of experience across public and private sectors, capped with Big 4 consulting impact. 📍 Specialist in U.S. tariff strategy, origin rules, valuation, HTSUS 9802.00.80, and mitigating duty exposure across APAC and North America 🎯 Trusted partner to senior leaders navigating reciprocal tariffs, transshipment risks, and complex compliance frameworks 💬 Available for consulting, contracting, training & guest speaking