ABOUT US--Trade Resources. Your guide to C-TPAT Compliance, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Import Export Training.

Trade Resources & Associates is a consulting firm specializing in Customs and International Trade. Our company was founded by associates who have experience in Industry and Customs and it is located near many of our clients not far from the Silicon Valley.

Trade Resources & Associates will facilitate your company’s development of trade programs and compliance. Many companies are now interested in compliance programs such as Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, Importer Self-Assessment and Export Management System. They are interested in implementing programs that insure their company’s compliance with import and export laws because it is in the best interest of the company.

Senior Management of every company must know the potential damage to their business if their company does not have an effective compliance program. Governing boards must understand that the company must comply with Import and Export regulations because it is the law and because it is part of Corporate Governance responsibilities

Associates Background
Jo-Anne Daniels | Gerald V. Yow | Misty Rutter | Johanne M. Dictor | David Ross

Jo-Anne Daniels, President of Trade Resources & Associates

Ms. Daniels has been a Licensed Customs Broker for 20 years and has worked for multinational corporations such as Solectron, Applied Materials and Siemens. She has conducted internal control audits and training for her past companies as well as providing Customs, Export and Logistics consulting and support for her customers.

Her previous work history includes a number of freight forwarders, customs brokers, and express carrier where she managed the import and export groups. She has been a featured guest speaker for trade associations, logistics organizations and guest lecturer at Golden Gate University. She is also a published writer and a Board of Director for the Professional Association of Exporters and Importers.

Gerald V. Yow, Associate

Mr. Yow has been involved with Silicon Valley firms throughout his career in Public Accounting and the US Customs Service. He is currently contracting with local firms to assist them with their import compliance issues.

As Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers International Trade Practice, based in the San Jose office, he specialized in corporate compliance for multinational companies. His practice includes importer compliance audits, US and foreign tariff classification and valuation analyses, recordkeeping, procedural manuals, along with staff training to implement internal controls and procedures. With his unique blend of experience both inside and outside the government, Mr. Yow brings to his clients a perspective and practical knowledge rarely found among consultants.

Prior to joining PWC, Mr. Yow was a Manager at KPMG's Customs and International Trade Practice in San Jose, CA. In that role he managed several large projects, providing creative strategies, guidance and technical expertise to a variety of multinational clients involved in Drawback, Reconciliation, Regulatory Audit Assessments, CAM, and ICMP reviews.

Mr. Yow 's government career spanned over twenty-eight years. He started his career with the Customs Service as an Internal Auditor, and Customs Inspector and is well-versed in US Customs operations. His last 15 years with the US Customs Service was in the Regulatory Audit Division in San Jose, where he performed importer, customhouse broker, FTZ, and bonded warehouse compliance audits. He was the lead auditor on several compliance audits, and assisted in several fraud audits throughout his governmental career.

Misty Rutter, Associate

Misty Rutter has worked in the international logistics and regulatory arena for twenty five years. She has managed both import and export operations functions, designed and implemented compliance, training and auditing programs, instituted cost savings programs through rate negotiations and supply chain management.

Misty was initiated into the international logistics area working for a chemical trading company, ASOMA/Sobin Chemicals in Boston. She then went on to manage the international distribution and regulatory affairs for the electronic materials division of Rohm and Haas, a fortune five-hundred corporation. Over the course of her fifteen years at Rohm and Haas, Misty implemented compliance programs for Department of Commerce Licensing, United States Customs import regulations, Environmental Protection Agency TSCA 12B, NAFTA, duty drawback as well as hazardous materials regulations including IMO, IATA and Department of Transportation. She was also involved in the implementation of ISO 9001 and ran a national training program for remote facilities.

For the last six years, Misty has developed an independent consulting business providing international regulatory expertise to companies looking to implement or improve compliance programs. She has written compliance manuals, developed training programs and conducted compliance audits in both the import and export areas, specializing in EAR and ITAR regualttions. She has assisted companies involved in governmental investigations, Customs ISA Importer Self Assessment, and regulatory software implementations, including the SAP Global Trade Services module for export compliance. She has assisted in corporate classification projects and has assisted companies in globalizing their U.S. compliance programs.

Most recently Misty has been providing consulting services through Trade Resources & Associates (TRA) in partnership with Jo-Anne Daniels, President of TRA.

	Johanne M. Dictor, Associate Johanne M. Dictor has over 25 years of experience in the cargo industry. Ms. Dictor's experience ranges from domestic and international air, ocean, and surface transportation matters for cargo airlines, insurance companies, freight forwarders and shippers. Ms. Dictor has developed security policy and procedures for the Risk Management division of World Airways and DHL as well as freight forwarders. She has also provided education and training in the area of cargo subrogation claims to such companies as Hartford Insurance and DHL Worldwide Express. Additionally she consulted with a major cargo airline to design and develop a security and claims department.
Ms. Dictor has also been an cargo claims expert witness for the United States Government and has been a guest lecturer at Golden Gate University. Ms Dictor was Vice President of the San Francisco Air Cargo Association for two terms and also participated with such organizations as the Airline Transportation Association and Women in Transportation. She owns and operates a company which specializes in subrogation claims, and provides security and cargo claims education, training and expert testimony. Presently she consults with Trade Resources & Associates to assist clients to become certified in Customs & Border Protection's Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program.

David Ross, Principal For 24 years, David Ross has specialized in Import/Export Compliance and Logistics Management Consulting. He has held several positions in Fortune 500 Companies in Logistics and Compliance Management in various industries including industrial goods, consumer goods, high tech, semiconductor, electronics and freight forwarding. He has established and managed corporate logistics councils whose focus was both Supply Chain and Compliance optimization. Dave also provides public and private seminars to worldwide audiences, covering global trade topics such as export compliance, import compliance, letter of credit banking, import/export documentation, incoterms and supply chain management. In addition, Dave is heavily involved with import/export focused assessments and Supply Chain Process Engineering/Re-Engineering using Total Quality Management (TQM) methodologies. He has served most recently as the Director of Operations for a global trade-consulting firm as part of a $2.0 billion year logistics service provider. In February 2004, Dave launched Ross & Associates as a Global Trade Compliance consulting firm dedicated to providing our clients with the tools and knowledge needed to move their products globally both logistically optimized and legally compliant. Our network consists of industry professionals that include, partner trade consulting firms, customs brokers, import/export compliance attorneys, supply chain specialists, freight forwarders, integrators and trade data management services.