Her Story
About Cely
Cely Coleman is a Senior Manager specializing in Export Controls, Customs Compliance, International Logistics, and Trade Compliance, based in Springfield, New Jersey. She currently serves at Nitto Americas, where she oversees trade compliance operations across multiple Americas group companies. With over 30 years of experience in global trade, she has built a career spanning industries such as aerospace, apparel, medical devices, and security, with deep expertise in both import and export regulatory frameworks.
Throughout her career, Cely has held progressive leadership roles in customs and trade compliance, including positions at Dassault Falcon Jet, Maidenform, Smiths Detection, and Becton, Dickinson and Company. Her core competencies include tariff classification, export control classification (ECCN), sanctions compliance, customs entry documentation, importer security filing, duty drawback programs, and Free Trade Agreement management such as USMCA. She is also highly experienced in regulatory interpretation, risk management, global logistics, and managing third-party logistics providers, as well as serving as a certified corporate trainer in trade compliance matters.
She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from Baruch College, where she developed her foundation in global commerce and trade systems. Beyond her technical expertise, Cely is known for her commitment to integrity, regulatory excellence, and cost-conscious compliance strategies that protect organizations from risk while ensuring operational efficiency. She is also actively engaged in industry associations and continues to contribute thought leadership in global trade compliance and regulatory best practices.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cely
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to over three decades of experience in trade compliance, grounded in a strong commercial education and early passion for international marketing. I have built and now oversee compliance operations across nine companies, including export screening and import tariff systems developed from the ground up. A key achievement was successfully challenging a U.S. Customs classification in 2020, saving millions in duties without legal counsel, and I remain committed to protecting compliance integrity and corporate reputation across all my work.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When I participate in Women in International Trade panels, I often engage with students interested in the field, and I make a point of offering practical, real-world advice rather than textbook theory. I encourage open discussion, address their questions directly, and share insights drawn from actual experience in international trade compliance. My goal is to help them understand what truly happens in the industry beyond what is written in books, so they can enter the field with realistic expectations and practical knowledge.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is the rapid and constant change in tariffs driven by political and geopolitical developments. It requires staying continuously updated on shifting regulations and assessing their impact almost daily—what I often refer to as “tweet tariffs” because of how quickly things can change. A significant part of my role now involves monitoring these updates, preparing impact reports, and communicating them to the business to ensure timely responses. This evolving landscape has made trade compliance more critical than ever and has positioned me as a key resource within the company, where my role has become far more visible and essential than in the past.
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