Tiffany Hodang
I have been working in trade compliance for 23-24 years, starting my career at Cisco after graduating from ASU with a degree in international business. I began in export compliance and then discovered my passion for import regulations, which led me to obtain my licensed custom broker credential - a lifetime license granted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that I earned by passing a rigorous board-style examination. Currently, I serve as a broker manager for the legal department, where I specialize in duty saving programs including Temporary Import Bond (TIB) and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) initiatives. My work involves setting up comprehensive warehouse processes, tracking systems, and compliance programs to minimize tariff exposure for my company. I'm highly skilled in classification, custom valuation, transfer pricing, and developing internal pricing guidelines. I've successfully helped companies recover overpaid duties and navigate complex regulations including Trump tariffs, Section 301, and Section 232. My expertise spans both import regulations under the Department of Homeland Security and export administration under the Bureau of Industry and Security. I work closely with multiple government agencies including FDA, FCC, and various customs authorities. I'm detail-oriented and excel at writing compliance manuals, standard operating procedures, and building risk assessment systems. Currently, I'm pursuing a Master of Legal Study degree focused on international trade law to further enhance my ability to provide legal analysis and work alongside trade lawyers. My goal is to become an even greater expert in this field and eventually offer my services more broadly to help others navigate the complex world of international trade compliance.
• Licensed Custom Broker
• CUSECO (Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer) - in progress
• Bachelor of Science
• International Business
• Arizona State University (ASU)
• Barrett Honors College
• Master of Legal Study (MLS)
• International Trade Law (in progress
• Expected graduation Spring 2028)
• Barrett Honors College Graduate
• Arizona State University
• Admitted to Stanford University
• PAEI (Professionals of Import and Export Administration) - Former Board of Directors for 3 years
• Women in International Trade (WIT) - Former volunteer
• ICPA (International Compliance Professionals Association) - Future planned membership
• Charitable giving to support less fortunate people
• Former volunteer with non-profit trade professional organizations including PAEI and Women in International Trade
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I can tell her, like, this job is, like, you have to have the passion, like, because I love this job, that's why you can do it. Otherwise, really, to me, that's the nightmare, because the regulation changed, like, today say something, and tomorrow change it. You just wrote the impact analysis yesterday, and today the law changed, so basically obsolete. So basically, that person needs to have a passion, not because of the money. Of course, the money comes with the long term, with the tenure - the more experience you have, the more money they pay you, but it's not that. It's about your passion. You want to go with it, no matter what happens, because the job is not easy. You have to read, you have to interpret the regulation. When you interpret the law, every law is different. That person, to me, if somebody wants to pursue this career, she needs to be patient, she needs to be driven, she needs to be ambitious, because the job is really cool, really fun, but really challenging as well. But in the long term, she will be rewarded. In the last 2 years, I made more than a lawyer. So, you know, I feel comfortable with my pay right now.
Locations
Freelance
Newark, CA