Marina Mekheil

Practice Areas

• Export Controls and Economic Sanctions

• Customs

Career

Marina Mekheil is a Senior Associate Attorney at Schulz Trade Law PLLC, a woman-owned international trade law firm based in Dallas, Texas. She advises U.S. and global companies of all sizes on a wide range of international trade matters, including customs, export controls, and economic sanctions compliance.

Marina has extensive experience helping clients navigate the complex requirements of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs. She regularly assists companies in determining Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs), managing deemed export issues, preparing and advising on export licenses and Voluntary Self-Disclosures (VSDs), and counseling clients in high-risk industries on practical compliance strategies. Marina also develops and implements compliance programs, delivers tailored trainings, and prepares detailed compliance manuals, ensuring clients remain competitive while minimizing exposure to regulatory risk.

On the customs side, Marina counsels clients on tariff classification, valuation, and country of origin, while identifying opportunities to reduce duty exposure through mechanisms such as drawback, Temporary Importations Under Bond (TIB), Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and Chapter 98 special provisions. She frequently prepares and submits ruling requests to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and has successfully represented clients in enforcement matters, including protests, penalty notices, CBP requests for information (CF-28s), and Prior Disclosures, achieving favorable outcomes that reduce liability and maintain supply chain efficiency.

Before joining Schulz Trade Law, Marina served as an attorney at CBP Headquarters in Washington, D.C., within the Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings Directorate, where she advised the U.S. Government on customs matters, drafted advanced rulings, and supported litigation and training. She also gained valuable international trade experience through internships at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce. These experiences, combined with her private practice, enable Marina to provide clients with practical, business-focused advice on navigating the full spectrum of U.S. trade regulations.

Professional Memberships

• Dallas Bar Association, International Law Section, Secretary

• International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA)

Publications

Publications:

• “The Tariff Man: What to Expect from Trump’s Second Term” by Matt Savage and Marina Mekheil, Circuits e-Journal published by the Computer & Technology Section of the State Bar of Texas, February 2025.

• “U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Sudan,” Human Rights Brief, February 21, 2017.

Presentations:

• “The Tolls of Tariffs: How 2025 Has Reshaped International Trade”, Co-Presenter. Corporate Counsel Symposium at SMU Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership, October 24, 2025, in Dallas, TX.

• “Navigating 2025 U.S. Trade Actions: IEEPA Fentanyl, IEEPA Reciprocal Tariffs, and Section 232 Exemptions & Duty and Penalty Mitigation Strategies”, Presenter. International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA), September 23, 2025, webinar.

• “Trade Awareness & Compliance Fundamentals”, Co-Presenter. ISM - Fort Worth Chapter Meeting, August 26, 2025, in Ft. Worth, TX.

• “2025 ITAR Rulemaking Developments: Insights and Implications for Export Compliance”, Co-Presenter. The Knowledge Group, August 19, 2025, webinar.

• “Priority Trade Issues and CBP Update”, Speaker for 2024 International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA) Fall Conference, October 21, 2024 in Grapevine, TX.

• “International Trade: Coping with Enforcement Challenges”, Panelist, State Bar of Texas International Law Section’s 33rd Annual International Law Institute, May 16, 2024, in Houston, Texas.

Personal

In her free time, Marina enjoys traveling and playing pickleball.

Clients

Marina assists clients across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, energy, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction equipment and machinery, encryption and technology, consumer goods, and other sectors engaged in international trade. She advises organizations operating in the United States and abroad that face complex customs, export controls, and economic sanctions requirements.

Many of these clients manage cross-border supply chains and are navigating evolving tariff regulations, antidumping proceedings, Section 232 duties, International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, and United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) compliance. Others require assistance responding to government inquiries/investigations, conducting internal audits, submitting Prior Disclosures (PDs) and Voluntary Self-Disclosures (VSDs), and developing or enhancing compliance programs. Marina regularly supports clients in building sustainable trade compliance frameworks while identifying lawful duty-saving and risk mitigation opportunities.

Industry Sector Expertise

Key Sectors:

• Aerospace

• Oil and Gas

• Consumer Goods

• Construction Equipment and Machinery

• Encryption and Technology

• Energy

Expert in these Jurisdictions

United States

Languages Spoken

• English

• Arabic (Conversational)

Experience

Marina Mekheil is currently a Senior Associate Attorney at Schulz Trade Law PLLC. Before joining Schulz Trade Law, Marina served as an attorney at CBP Headquarters in Washington, D.C., within the Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings Directorate, where she advised the U.S. Government on customs matters, drafted advanced rulings, and supported litigation and training. She also gained valuable international trade experience through internships at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Work Highlights

Export Controls & Economic Sanctions

• Prepared and submitted Voluntary Self-Disclosures (VSDs) to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), including auditing data, analyzing findings, recommending corrective actions, and drafting all supporting documentation.

• Drafted VSDs that resulted in warning letters only, with no monetary penalties.

• Developed and implemented comprehensive export compliance manuals and procedures, including corrective measures and employee training.

• Advised on Export Administration Regulations (EAR) compliance, export licensing obligations, encryption classification and licensing, and routed export transactions.

• Provided ongoing guidance under the EAR and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including for transactions in the oil and gas industry.

• Coordinated with foreign counsel to address encryption controls and related cross-border compliance obligations.

Customs & Trade Remedies

• Led and supported numerous Prior Disclosures (PDs), including conducting extensive internal audits, drafting submissions, and implementing corrective measures.

• Handled and responded to multiple Notices of Seizure and guided clients through CBP communications and enforcement matters.

• Secured significant penalty mitigation, including obtaining full relief on a petition that reduced a $3 million penalty to $0.

• Filed successful Protests resulting in no payment of duties.

• Substantiated clients’ duty-saving claims under Chapter 98 (including 9801.00.8500) to prevent inclusion in loss of revenue calculations.

• Identified and implemented duty-saving opportunities, including tariff engineering strategies, Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB), and Section 232 duty mitigation.

• Advised extensively on country of origin determinations, classification, valuation, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) eligibility, and tariff applicability, including International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Section 232 tariffs.

• Provided ongoing customs guidance to clients managing clean energy construction projects and other complex import operations.

• Assisted clients during antidumping investigations, including support related to ITC questionnaires.

• Advised on contractual allocation of tariff responsibilities and assisted with commercial disputes involving foreign sellers acting as Importer of Record.

Education