Precision, Proof, and Progress:

Subaru builds vehicles to tight tolerances. Their US trade compliance processes were less precise. Different plants and brokers used different HS codes for the same part, and arguments about “the right” classification often depended on who was on shift. Duty refunds and drawback work happened in bursts when someone had time to chase paperwork.

GingerControl started with a simple idea: give Subaru a classification-first trade compliance program for US imports. That meant clear HS codes, clear documentation, and clear tariff strategies that finance, plants, and brokers could all live with.

Manufacturing Precision Meets Regulatory Complexity

Subaru imports thousands of parts and assemblies into the United States, many of them steel-heavy and exposed to measures like Section 232. Every change in design, supplier, or routing could change the correct HS classification or duty rate.

GC mapped Subaru’s most important parts, plants, and lanes. For each product imported into the US, they captured what it was, how it was built, and how it moved. That work became the foundation for consistent HS classification and tariff strategy across Subaru’s customs brokers and US entries.

The Turning Point: Classification First

The real turning point was a shared decision: classification would come first. Instead of treating HS codes as an afterthought, GC and Subaru agreed they would be the backbone of every customs and duty decision.

Over several months, the joint team:

• Reviewed and rationalised thousands of existing HS codes used on US entries.

• Documented classification reasoning and references suitable for CBP and internal audit.

• Standardised how new parts and engineering changes would be classified before the first shipment.

With one defensible classification set, Subaru finally had a single answer for “how is this part treated when it enters the US?”

Building the Backbone

Once the classification and tariff strategy were in place, GC moved into customs entry support and duty recovery. The goal was not to replace brokers, but to give them better tools.

The teams worked together to:

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

• Identify overpayments and refund opportunities created by legacy classifications and structures.

• Prioritise high-value lanes where duty refunds, drawback, and future savings would have the biggest impact.

Customs entries became more predictable, and duty refunds became an output of a better-run program rather than a separate project.

From Manual Claims to Structured Compliance

Before GC, duty claims at Subaru depended on who had time to pull data and assemble files. Some opportunities were captured; many were not. GC helped turn this into a structured process.

They set up:

• A standard review of US import and export data tied to classification changes.

• Clear triggers for when potential duty refunds or drawback claims should be raised.

• Shared templates so finance, plants, and brokers all knew what “complete” looked like.

The result was a US duty recovery program that fit into Subaru’s existing operations instead of fighting them.

The Human Shift

The technical work only mattered if people trusted it. GC spent time with finance, plant, and logistics teams explaining how the new classification and customs entry approach worked and why certain decisions were made.

Over time:

• Plants saw fewer last-minute customs surprises.

• Finance gained clearer visibility into duty spend and recovery.

• Brokers had cleaner instructions and fewer conflicts between plants.

Trade compliance went from something people avoided to a shared language for how Subaru’s imports should work.

Results That Matter

Within the first implementation of the program, Subaru saw:

• 6,800+ SKUs reviewed and brought under documented HS classifications for US imports.

• A 5% reduction in effective duty on targeted parts and programs.

• 40% fewer post-entry corrections and customs entry issues on covered US lanes.

Duty refunds and drawback added meaningful cash, but the larger win was structural: Subaru now had a US trade compliance backbone that matched the precision of its manufacturing.

Lessons for the Automotive Sector

For automotive manufacturers importing into the US, Subaru’s experience offers a clear lesson: start with HS classification and tariff strategy. Without a consistent, documented view of how parts are treated under US customs rules, every customs entry, duty claim, and sourcing decision is built on guesswork.

By integrating classification & tariff strategy, customs entry support, duty refunds & drawback, and supplier risk reviews into one program, Subaru and GingerControl turned trade compliance into a lever for margin and risk—not just a filing obligation.

A Partnership Built on Precision

What made the Subaru–GC partnership work was a shared respect for precision. GC didn’t try to impose a generic model on Subaru’s operations. Instead, they listened to plant constraints, respected broker relationships, and built a US trade compliance framework that could survive audits and day-to-day realities.

Subaru gained a partner who could speak the language of finance, manufacturing, and customs in the same conversation, and who was willing to own the details.

The Bigger Picture

Subaru’s story is not just about one set of duty refunds or one set of HS codes. It shows what happens when trade compliance, customs entry, duty recovery, and supplier risk are treated as one connected system.

With a classification-first approach and a structured program around it, Subaru now views each US import as both a compliance event and a margin decision. That is the bigger picture GingerControl was built to support.