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Episode 5: Master Data, Automation and Audit Readiness in Trade Compliance

Leaders Speak

Victor Teixeira de Sousa
Speaker

Victor Teixeira de Sousa

International Trade Compliance & Customs Manager - CCR Commercial Refrigeration

Victor Teixeira de Sousa is a Licensed Customs Broker and international trade compliance professional with extensive experience in tariff classification, export controls, sanctions, and product compliance. He currently serves as International Trade Compliance & Customs Manager at Carrier Commercial Refrigeration in the Netherlands. Building on 18 years of supply chain experience, Victor combines regulatory expertise with a practical, cross-functional approach to compliance. His work includes customs risk management, preferential origin determination, master data governance, and the implementation of AI-driven solutions and automation to improve trade compliance processes.

TL;DR

Victor Teixeira de Sousa, International Trade Compliance and Customs Manager at CCR Commercial Refrigeration in the Netherlands, came to compliance after 18 years in supply chain roles. He discusses classifying 200,000 to 300,000 materials across twelve tariffs, using Brexit to prove the function's value, why master data quality matters more than new tools, and how record keeping must survive ERP and broker changes. The views he shares are his own.

5 Key Findings

  1. A crisis is the moment to show value

    Brexit gave many European companies a clear business case. Using the prior year's volumes, Victor showed that a small investment avoided most of the cost, including rerouting Irish shipments so they no longer passed through the UK.

  2. Wrong codes trigger wrong product rules

    A wrong commodity code brings in conformity requirements that customs enforces for other agencies. Correct classification removed rules that never applied, so other departments stopped supplying documents and lead times shortened.

  3. Master data quality decides your tooling

    When material master data is well structured, spreadsheets and VBA or Power Automate can achieve a lot. Poor data and weak governance are what push companies toward expensive tools that then struggle to pass a business case.

  4. Record keeping must outlive system changes

    Companies often lose access to historic data when they change ERP systems or customs brokers. Plan for retrieving five-year-old records before switching. Proof for VAT purposes can also trigger wider tax audits if it is missing.

  5. Authorities may already know your data

    During an unannounced visit on strategic goods and sanctions, inspectors told Victor they had checked all of the company's shipments and found them consistent. Regulators often see more than companies expect.

Advice to the Professional

Victor Teixeira de Sousa From Victor Teixeira de Sousa

Build relationships across procurement, supply chain and sales. Many risks surface in informal chats over coffee, and colleagues who understand trade rules will bring problems to you early. Let them take credit for savings if it gets the right result for the company.

Know the tariff sections your products fall into and the industry you work in, then fix master data before buying software. Make full use of the tools you already have. Protect an hour or two each day for high-risk routine work while large projects run.

Conclusion

Victor’s approach starts with clean data, sound governance and complete records. Tools can then be chosen against a clear business case, and the compliance team is ready when an audit or an unannounced visit arrives.