Legal Question in Business Law in Arizona

Export -- Legal or Illegal ??

I recently came across an ad on Monster.com for a part time position. The position was listed as a ''stock router'' for a company based out of Estonia. They order packages from American companies such as; Dell, Gateway, QVC...and have them shipped to my home. They pay for the product, but the billing and shipping information is all in my name. Their company name is nowhere listed on the paperwork. I then ship them to their client in Russia. Is this legal? Why wouldn't they have Dell ship the products directly to them in Russia? Are they trying to avoid taxes and customs of some sort? Please advise..I feel that I am doing something wrong, and even my husband is very skeptical about it. He doesn't understand the logic of it all.


Asked on 2/11/03, 10:01 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: Export -- Legal or Illegal ??

There are comlicated and wide-reaching laws in the US prohibiting the export of certain technologies to designated foreign countries. Whether or not your situation involves those technologies canot be determined from your post. Obviously this is a strange procedure, as you observe, and you may well wish to educate yourself concerning which hardware/software technologies are prohibited from being shipped abroad, and whether or not the items you are handling are covered by any export prohibitions. At the very least, you will probably want to determine the reasons for this bizzare business.

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Answered on 2/11/03, 10:22 am
Gerd Zimmermann zimmermann nielsen & colleagues

Re: Export -- Legal or Illegal ??

Just have been in Estonia last December. Between the US and Estonia exist a treaty, which will change in 2005, when Estonia will become a member of the EU. At the time it is not allowed to export this kind of technic to the UDSSR. In addition the company tries to "save" on taxes and duty.

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Answered on 2/11/03, 3:26 pm


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