Kathleen August is a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of the complex laws and regulations governing global trade. For more than 34 years, she worked as a Sr. Auditor/Team Leader at the Office of Trade, US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) in Detroit, Michigan.  Her public-sector tenure provides a rare and authoritative perspective on how US Government agencies assess and enforce trade regulations.

Since retiring from CBP, Kathleen has embraced her role as an independent consultant and International Trade Advisor. Her insights—shaped by years of conducting CBP audits—help businesses understand both sides of the trade compliance equation.  By bridging private sector practice with a deep understanding of Government expectations, she empowers clients to solve the problems inherent in international trade and to build more robust, credible and defensible compliance programs, determine the correct valuation of imported goods, take advantage of legal duty-savings opportunities, explore tariff engineering, respond to CBP inquiries and actions, and perfect prior disclosures.

Her deep expertise in determining the customs value of imported goods is complemented by her extensive experience with complex global trade transactions across various industries, including automotive (vehicles and parts), electronics, steel, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and mass merchandise.

Kathleen’s thorough understanding of these industries allows her to identify best practices for trade compliance, including essential recordkeeping systems and internal control processes necessary for meeting CBP’s ever-increasing exacting standards to avoid penalties and other enforcement actions.  She excels in evaluating companies’ import compliance programs to pinpoint risks and deficiencies within internal controls and working with clients to take practical corrective actions.

While at CBP, Kathleen conducted a diverse array of complex audits, risk assessments and federal investigative work.  She was the lead Auditor on the first Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigation of antidumping duties evasion performed in the United States.  She has also worked on cases with Assistant US Attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ), including a grand jury case and other litigation. Additionally, for many years Kathleen collaterally served as a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Processor and supported FOIA litigation.

Throughout her career, Kathleen actively contributed to special projects at CBP Headquarters.  She also spent several weeks working in maquiladoras in Mexico.  Her audit findings proved invaluable, resulting in millions of dollars in recommended revenue collections for CBP and significant improvements to importer compliance.

In her community, Kathleen has served on Boards of Directors and Executive Committees for various nonprofit agencies and has engaged in voluntary lobbying for causes she is passionate about, including the successful passage of a food allergy bill under the aegis of a US Senator.

Education

M.B.A., Walsh College

B.B.A., Accounting, Davenport University

Prior Experience

Sr. Auditor/Team Leader, US Customs and Border Protection