Ngosong Fonkem Attorney
Contact NgosongAbout Ngosong
Ngosong Fonkem provides companies with business-practical representation on international trade law and Africa matters. His enthusiasm for embracing difficult challenges enables him to help his clients navigate unfamiliar legal territories. His tenacious approach ensures his clients receive the best possible representation, regardless of the complexity of the case, and he has a long history of achieving successful results in all sorts of U.S. customs tariff and duty matters. Ngosong also heads up our Africa desk.
Before transitioning to full-time legal practice, Ngosong worked as a law professor at the oldest private university in Malaysia and as an energy intelligence management consultant in Southeast Asia. He continues to teach courses on international trade and global business as an adjunct professor at St. Norbert College Schneider School of Business and Cardinal Stritch University College of Business and Management.
An International Trade and Africa Law Expert
In 2022, Ngosong was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to serve as an industry sector advisor within the USTR’s Industry Sector Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) on “Small, Minority, and Women-led Business.” At ITAC’s first meeting, he was elected Chair of the committee. In 2019, he was appointed by the Turkish Investor and Industrialist Businessmen Association (YATSIAD) to serve as its U.S. representative.
Ngosong is also chairs the Wisconsin Bar Association International Practice Section and a board member of the Wisconsin Bar Association Business Law Section. Additionally, he is the chair of events at the International Trade Club of Chicago and vice-chair of the International Section Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. From 2016 to 2018, he served as a commissioner on the Board of Brown County Harbor Commission at the port of Green Bay. Ngosong also serves on the executive committee of Dairy Cares of Wisconsin, a charitable organization that raises money for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and Kicking It With The Cows, another charitable organization that raises money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Ngosong frequently speaks on international trade-related and Africa law issues, and he regularly makes presentations in the U.S. and abroad on global trade and geopolitics-related topics. He has authored numerous articles on trade-related topics in peer-reviewed law journals, business journals, and magazines. Most recently, he co-authored a book on international trade and geopolitics titled, “Trade Crash: A Primer on Surviving and Thriving in Pandemics & Global Trade Disruption.”
On a personal note, Ngosong enjoys traveling (he has visited more than 50 countries so far), playing soccer, and sailing.
Fast Facts
Education
- Tulane Law School (LL.M)
- West Virginia University College of Law (JD)
Languages
- French
Bar & Court Admissions
- Wisconsin State Bar
- Washington, DC Bar
More About Ngosong
- Provided comprehensive guidance on US, EU, and UK economic sanctions to the Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (“PetroSA”) for its potential collaboration with GazpromBank-Africa.
- Provided interpretive guidance to a Russian state-owned uranium company on navigating US sanctions, specifically regarding blocked funds held by a US correspondent bank of a sanctioned Russian bank.
- Assisted multiple entities and individuals in navigating U.S. sanctions regulations, including securing the release of blocked funds held by U.S. correspondent banks and representing individuals in OFAC de-listing petitions.
- Managed all aspects of maritime vessel registration, certification, and classification processes, including interactions with ship agents, port authorities, and government bodies to ensure compliance and operational efficiency.
- Successfully secured significant reductions in United States customs duties for multiple companies, facilitating cost-effective importation of products from China, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Mexico. This not only enhanced compliance with international trade regulations but also optimized operational costs across diverse markets.
- State Bar of Wisconsin Association Annual Meeting and Conference, June 14th, 2023.
- Exporting To the United States: Challenges and Opportunities from a Sri Lankan Perspective, Sudath Perera Associates Webinar, May 2023.
- Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview of Legal Considerations, International Trade Club of Chicago webinar, February 28, 2023.
- MITA Lunch Seminar, December 15, 2022.
- “Talking Trade”, WisBusiness, August 9, 2022.
- “US Sanctions on Russian/Mitigating Impact of Trade Disruption”, Madison International Trade Association/International Credit Exchange, July 12, 2022.
- “Talking Trade”, WisBusiness Podcast, September 17, 2021.
- “Trade Remedies Update”, Inter-Pacific Bar Association- International Practice webinar, September 14, 2021.
- “Black History Month: Opportunities in Trade and Overcoming Barriers”, International Trade Club of Chicago Diversity Series, February 23, 2021.
- “Trade Crash: Managing Trade Disruptions in a New Administration”, Envision Fond du Lac State of the Economy Breakfast, November 17, 2020.
- “Embargoes, Sanctions, & Tariffs”, International Trade Club of Chicago Speaker Series, October 3, 2020.
- “International Trade in Times of Crisis”, Inter-Pacific Bar Association Webinar Series, September 8, 2020.
- “International Risk Consideration”, North East Wisconsin Global Trade Conference, October 25, 2019.
- “How Design Thinking Will Change the Practice of Law”, Wisconsin Bar Association Annual Meeting & Conference, June 15, 2019.
- Inter-Pacific Bar Association Conference, April 26, 2019.
- “Tariff Policy”, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology Leaders Roundtable, October 15, 2018.
- “Getting the Facts on Trade & Tariffs”, Freshtake with Josh Dukelow Radio Show on WHBY, June 16, 2018.
- “NAFTA 2.0, Opportunities for Counsel in NAFTA Reorganization”, Wisconsin Bar Association Annual Meeting & Conference, June 21, 2018.
- “Data Privacy on Social Networks in Multiple Jurisdictions”, Inter-Pacific Bar Association Conference, March 15, 2018.
- “Key Policy Issues & the Agenda for NAFTA Renegotiation”, Wisconsin Logistic Counsel, November 9, 2017.
- “Free Trade in Services”, Inter-Pacific Bar Association Conference, April 7, 2017.
- “Resolution of Trade Disputes in TPP and Other FTAs”, Inter-Pacific Bar Association Conference, April 14, 2016.
- Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference, October 3, 2014.
- Econominic Development, Good Governance are Key to the Preventing the Next Coup D’état in Africa, pg, 26, Florida Bar International Law Quarterly, Fall 2023.
- The Year in Review, American Bar Association, July 2023.
- The impact of geopolitics on aluminum prices, Insight on Manufacturing, July 14, 2023.
- Prohibited Party Screening and the Hidden Dangers in China Business Transactions, Lexology, May 23, 2023.
- Shipping Vehicles and The IMDG Code, LexBlog, May 21, 20.23.
- Breaking News: U.S. Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement Clarifies Its Policy on Voluntary Self-Disclosure and Disclosures Concerning Others, LexBlog, April 21, 2023.
- How good governance can drive AfCFTA forward, African Business Journal, April 20, 2023.
- Discussing Crypto Regulation With Ngosong Fonkem, International Trade & Compliance Attorney, Hackernoon, March 29, 203.
- IPBA Dubai 2023 – Day 2, LexBlog, March 10, 2023.
- IPBA Dubai 2023 – One World: Law & The Environment Beyond Covid – Day 1, LexBlog, March 8, 2023.
- A Guide to Starting a Maritime Cargo Shipping Business, LexBlog, February 28, 2023.
- Wisconsin Legal Trends 2023, State Bar of Wisconsin, February 7, 2023.
- Ngosong Fonkem: Providing International Trade Law Advice to Business Clients, State Bar of Wisconsin, February 7, 2023.
- Does the Russian Invasion Signal the End of Globalization or Merely a Recalibration?, WisLaw NOW, May 16, 2022.
- Diversity and Inclusion in the International Trade Focused Legal Profession: Why It is More Than Just What You Can See!, InterPacific Bar Association Magazine, June 21, 2022.
- What Public International Law Says about Troop Withdrawal at the End of a War, WisLaw NOW, September 15, 2021.
- Human Rights & U.S. Foreign Policy: A Tough Approach to Trade Issues, Wisconsin Lawyers Magazine, July 2021.
- Tough on China’ Trade Policy Continues, WisLaw NOW, April 27, 2021.
- Why Businesses Should Pay Attention to Biden’s Human Rights Centered Foreign Policy, WisLaw NOW, April 9, 2021.
- China’s New Export Control Law: Why US Businesses Should Pay Attention, WisLaw NOW, November 4, 2020.
- Improving Global Competitiveness with Foreign Trade Zone Programs, WisLaw NOW, February 5, 2020.
- Save on Import Duties with the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill – Apply by Dec. 10, WisLaw NOW, December 3, 2019.
- How a Huawei CFO’s Criminal Prosecution Could Signal a New Approach to U.S. Sanctions Enforcement, WisLaw NOW, April 5, 2019.
- Data Analysis Reveals Key Factors in US CPB’s Country-of-origin Determinations, WisLaw NOW, January 4, 2019.
- From NAFTA to USMCA: The Next Step Moving Forward?, WisLaw NOW, October 11, 2018.
- Milwaukee Biz Blog: NAFTA Modernization and Renegotiation, BizTimes, December 26, 2017.
- Chair – US Trade Representative – Industry Trade Advisory Committee
- Event Coordinator – International Trade Club of Chicago
- Diversity Chair – America Bar Association Custom Committee
- Chair – Wisconsin Bar Association – International Section
- U.S. Representative – Turkish Businessman Industrialist Assn (YATSIAD)
- Executive Committee Member – Dairy Cares of Wisconsin (Charity organization)
- Steering Committee Member – The New North (Global), Northeast, WI
- Board Member – Brown County Harbor Commission, Brown County WI
- “Talking Trade” with attorney Ngosong Fonkem, WisPolitics, September 2022.
Proven Expertise for Challenging Legal Issues
Find Ngosong Recently Featured In...
International Law Section Yearly Review 2023
Ngosong Fonkem in American Bar Association
August 29th, 2023