About

H. Michael Leightman

Vice President – FTZ

Michael Leightman is a Vice President for FTZ Services. After 34 years in Big Four consultancy, primarily focused in Customs and Trade matters for the energy sector, he joined Charter to focus exclusively on the petroleum, petrochemical and chemical sectors.

He assists US and foreign-based clients with structuring, activating and utilizing the US Foreign-Trade Zone program for their US operations, in addition to assisting clients with their US Customs and IRS regulatory compliance obligations related to customs duty liability, import fees and taxes (import and excise), including the Superfund Chemicals Excise Tax.

Michael provides strategic advice on customs planning techniques and management compliance responsibilities, including analysis of shifting manufacturing country of origin options due to punitive tariffs through internal control assessment, design, implementation and testing. He has extensive experience in the energy (petroleum, petrochemical, chemical and equipment) sectors, distribution, manufacturing and electronics consumer products industries assisting clients with compliance and process reviews, supply chain optimization reviews, trade data analytics, managing US Customs government audits, controversy matters such as prior disclosures and other corrective procedures and the structuring, design and implementation of import/export planning ideas and procedures.

Michael has presented trade topics to many organizations on topics including duty optimization, global duty planning strategies, as well as background, perspectives and impact considerations from the Trump Administration’s Trade Policy and Trade Actions on multinational companies, including origin determinations, analysis of supply chain and manufacturing adjustments and other legally permissible strategies to mitigate punitive duty impacts.

Michael is a licensed certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. He earned his BS in Accounting from Santa Clara University. He is also a licensed US Customs Broker, and a member of the American Association of Exporters and Importers and the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones. Michael has given numerous presentations on US customs matters to industry and trade organizations across the globe.