Episode 8: Export Compliance in Freight Forwarding: The Life of a Shipment
Sr. Manager – Export & Trade Compliance - Apex Logistics
Steven Stryska is a trade compliance professional specializing in export controls, corporate compliance, and regulatory risk management. He currently serves as Senior Manager of Export & Trade Compliance at Apex Logistics International, bringing extensive experience supporting global logistics operations and regulatory compliance programs. Previously, he held senior compliance roles at Schenker and DSV, progressing from Senior Compliance Analyst to corporate management. Known for his collaborative, people-centered leadership style, Steven emphasizes ethical decision-making, employee advocacy, and continuous improvement while helping organizations navigate complex export and trade compliance challenges.
Steven Stryska, Senior Manager of Export and Trade Compliance at Apex Logistics International, walks through the life of an export shipment from a freight forwarder's side. He covers routed and non-routed transactions, why forwarders are now treated as the last line of defense, how transshipment can turn a simple routing into a licensing problem, which documents must match at destination, why SLI and EEI data must stay confidential, and the North Korea license that was his first.
5 Key Findings
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Forwarders are expected to speak up
Responsibility for classification stays with the exporter, but authorities now expect forwarders to know their customer. If a forwarder spots a likely wrong ECCN or a screening match and stays silent, regulators can hold that against it.
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Bad filing data repeats across thousands of entries
Moving data from a document into the system looks harmless but is a major risk. Steven has seen a company use the wrong Schedule B number for five years, leaving ten thousand shipments to correct.
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Transshipment can trigger another country's rules
Goods that never leave the plane or ship can still fall under the laws of the port they call at. Steven saw pharmaceuticals bound for Canada need a DEA permit in Los Angeles and US shotguns held in Luxembourg.
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Treat the SLI and EEI as confidential
The shipper's letter of instruction carries the same data filed with customs. Sharing it, or the EEI record, with overseas parties copied on email can breach US confidentiality rules and lead to fines.
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Parties on licenses must match reality
Overseas customs officers now look for US licenses on controlled goods and check the named clearing and pickup parties. An outdated company name or an old address on the documents invites scrutiny and delays.
Advice to the Professional
From Steven Stryska
Bring compliance into customer onboarding before the first shipment. Agree early what the forwarder will and will not take responsibility for, so sales does not promise more than you can deliver. When you spot a possible error, point it out without classifying for the customer, and get their decision in writing.
Check routings for transshipment and border crossings, because rail or air carriers may change a route without telling you. Go paperless for speed, but audit sample files by hand. Train operations staff regularly, since speed pressure is how controls get skipped.
Conclusion
Steven shows how much compliance work sits inside each forwarded shipment. Accurate data, careful routing and protected records keep the forwarder, the exporter and the goods out of trouble at both ends of the route.