Recovering duties at launch speed

SpaceX imports advanced components into the United States, integrates them into launch vehicles and spacecraft, and then exports finished hardware around the world. The flows are complex: multiple brokers, multiple plants, and constant engineering change. Duty and tariff costs add up quickly, and any customs issue that touches a launch window is unacceptable.

GC’s brief was clear: build a classification-first US trade compliance program that could support day-to-day customs entries, enable a structured duty drawback program on exported hardware, and surface trade risks before they affected launches.

The hidden gravity of trade costs

For years, duty and tariff costs had been treated as a necessary friction in the background of launches. Different HS codes appeared for the same part, customs brokers applied local habits, and duty drawback claims were filed when time allowed. None of it was catastrophic, but all of it quietly pulled on margin and added compliance risk to high-profile missions.

A detailed review of US imports and exports showed three pressure points:

• Inconsistent HS classification of critical components.

• Duty paid on parts that ultimately left the US as exports.

• Limited visibility into how sanctions and trade actions could affect suppliers and lanes.

SpaceX and GC agreed to tackle all three under one program.

Mission brief: one trade program, multiple services

GC designed a combined service stack for SpaceX:

• Classification & Tariff Strategy for complex aerospace components imported into the US.

• US Customs Entry Support to keep launch-critical shipments flowing on schedule.

• Duty Refunds & Drawback on exported hardware and qualifying export flows.

• Trade Compliance Advisory & Supplier Risk Review to keep an eye on sanctions and evolving US trade rules.

The goal was simple: make sure every import and export decision contributed to a stronger margin and risk position, not just a clean set of filings.

Engineering the classification backbone

The work started with HS classification. Aerospace assemblies often combine materials, electronics, and software in ways that make classification non-trivial. GC worked with engineering, supply-chain, and finance teams to:

• Map how key parts were designed and used across launch programs.

• Rationalise conflicting HS classifications used by different brokers and locations.

• Document classification reasoning, rulings, and technical references suitable for CBP review.

• Define a standard process for classifying new parts before the first US import.

The result was a single classification and tariff playbook for launch-critical components—a prerequisite for any reliable duty and risk strategy.

Keeping launch windows clear

With classification stabilised, GC focused on customs entry support for US imports. Working with SpaceX’s existing brokers, they:

• Aligned commercial invoices, packing lists, and entry data with the new HS codes.

• Flagged shipments with unusual duty or sanctions profiles before they left suppliers.

• Built simple dashboards so operations teams could see customs status alongside launch schedules.

Customs issues didn’t disappear, but they stopped being surprises. Launch teams gained more confidence that trade compliance would support, rather than threaten, mission timelines.

Duty drawback as predictable cash flow

Many high-value components imported into the US eventually left the country as part of exported stages, spacecraft, or payload systems. That created a natural opening for a US duty drawback program.

Leveraging the new classification backbone and cleaner customs entry data, GC helped SpaceX:

• Identify where imported, duty-paid content ended up in export flows.

• Build evidence files linking imports and exports for drawback purposes.

• Prioritise claims with the highest dollar impact and clearest documentation.

• Establish a repeatable review cycle so new export programs automatically fed the duty recovery pipeline.

Duty refunds moved from sporadic wins to a predictable margin lever tied to launch cadence.

Managing sanctions and supplier risk

As launch and satellite markets globalised, sanctions and export restrictions became another source of risk. GC supported SpaceX’s internal teams with:

• Reviews of key suppliers and routes for sanctions, export controls, and trade-action exposure.

• Practical guidance on how US trade rules affected sourcing decisions and route planning.

• Early warnings when regulatory changes made a supplier, country, or lane higher-risk from a trade perspective.

This kept trade compliance connected to wider risk discussions instead of being consulted only once a contract or schedule was already locked.

Results that matter for aerospace

Over the first cycles of work, SpaceX saw:

• A consistent HS and tariff approach for high-value components imported into the US.

• Fewer customs-related delays on launch-critical imports.

• A structured duty drawback program that converted past exports into new cash.

• Clearer visibility into how trade rules affected supplier, route, and launch planning.

More importantly, trade compliance began to be discussed alongside other margin and risk topics, not as an isolated compliance obligation.

Lessons for the Aerospace Industry

For aerospace manufacturers and launch providers, the lesson is straightforward: treat trade compliance as a mission system. HS classification, customs entry, duty refunds, and sanctions risk all influence both margin and launch reliability.

Why It Matters

Aerospace exports are among the most scrutinized in the world. Between export-control regulations, bonded warehouse operations, and intricate manufacturing supply chains, maintaining compliance while recovering duties requires both technical and legal fluency.

GC brought both. Our combination of trade compliance expertise, systemic frameworks, regulatory literacy, and hands-on partnership proved that compliance can move at rocket speed without burning out in the atmosphere.

For SpaceX, they've now got a reliable partner that handles all compliance headaches quietly in the background, processing data and delivering refunds with mechanical consistency. It has become part of the operational infrastructure, just as critical as logistics or finance.

The GingerControl Difference

By combining classification & tariff strategy, customs entry support, duty refunds & drawback, and trade compliance advisory into one program, SpaceX and GingerControl turned US trade compliance into a margin and risk engine for launch operations, not just a cost of doing business.