Commercial customs brokers exist to facilitate international trade and to oversee your affairs with an efficient, effective, and hassle-free strategy in place. Licensed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it’s a customs broker’s job to make sure that importers and exporters meet federal requirements for international shipments. They’re responsible for [...]
Even though there’s no law that says you need to hire a customs broker to get clearance for your goods, there’s a reason so many do. The fact is, navigating import brokerage can be intimidating no matter who you are. Not only is there a lot to learn, but the [...]
Imagine speeding your way through customs. Believe it or not, as unattainable as it may seem to travel your way through customs at a respectable speed—especially post 9-11, and especially for new businesses—with time, patience, and the help of a qualified customs broker, you’d be surprised how simple it can [...]
If you’re a US importer, no matter the scale of your business, it’s more likely than not that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will audit your operations and your transactional compliance at some point. They may look for a history of compliance errors, poorly defined and documented internal control procedures, [...]
Clearing customs is probably not the first thing that crosses your mind when you are looking to grow your business by importing and exporting across borders. Expanding a business is undoubtedly exciting, but proceeding with a sharp attention to detail will be key to ensure that things go smoothly. Sifting [...]
It may or may not come to you as a surprise that the United States is party to many international free-trade agreements (FTAs). In fact, the US is a leader of the free-trade movement, and operates in accordance with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (a legal agreement between [...]
Gone are the days of setting up shop at a brick and mortar store down the street. If you’re starting a business, making sales can be as simple as setting up a website. It’s no secret that having an import/export business can be extremely profitable -- especially if you do [...]
Expanding into international markets is a worthwhile business decision. There is no need to occupy a physical address in the country whose market you wish to become involved in either. By registering to become a non-resident importer (NRI), you can do all your business from the comfort of your home [...]
Amazon is the biggest e-commerce marketplace right now. Chances are even you have purchased an item from the website at least once. The best part about Amazon isn’t necessarily the ease at which we can make purchases from the comfort of anywhere, though. The best part is that it is [...]
It’s not a good time to try to ship coal in Washington. Washington State is being accused of imposing an embargo on shipping coal by privately company Lighthouse Resources Inc—but not legally. Lighthouse claims they have a lease for their Washington land that allows coal exports, but Washington has blocked [...]
