First introduced in 2009 and fully in effect since 2010, ISF filing is a crucial part of any importing any cargo coming into the United States by ocean carrier. While ISF has no bearing on your cargo’s admissibility and does not generally influence trade enforcement, US Customs and Border Protection [...]
Navigating commercial importing is like battling a sea of paperwork. Declarations, invoices, permits, border bonds… trying to navigate every aspect of clearing customs on your own can feel like you’re swimming against the current. In order to clear up some of the confusion around customs procedures, we’re going over two [...]
If you’re in the business of importing and exporting, you’ve probably heard of landed costs. You’ve probably also heard that they’re vital to your shipping operations. But what is a landed cost? Why is it so important to do total landed cost analysis? We’ll define landed cost, help you with [...]
We don’t think there’s anyone in this world who enjoys going through customs. Sure, the excitement of traveling can sometimes ease the pain, but most people would like to get it over with as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, going through customs simply takes as long as it takes and there’s [...]
Trade shows can bring many new and unique challenges for businesses. Whether you’re an experienced importer/exporter or not, participating in a trade show can leave you scratching your head. You may have heard that using a temporary import bond is the right way to go, but what exactly does that [...]
When traveling, it makes sense to many people to carry some cash on them. You never know when you’ll encounter a vendor who doesn’t accept debit or credit. Other times, travelers may choose to exchange their money to foreign currency before they leave. Whatever the reason, traveling with cash is [...]
These days, many people are interested in importing cars to the U.S. for personal use. Some might think it’s a daunting task not worth undertaking, especially when so many kinds of cars are readily available in the U.S. already. However, there are actually three common reasons why someone might want [...]
Do you plan on traveling with your furry friend? Or maybe you’re interested in buying a little companion from overseas. Either way, you probably have some questions about getting pets over the border. There are a few things you’ll need to understand about bringing pets into the U.S. before you [...]
Being informed and ready for clearing customs is truly half the battle of running an importing business. Whether importing has been the core of your operations for decades, or you’re preparing for your first-ever shipment right now, being aware of what Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants to know from [...]
Importers that move goods into the US on a formal entry basis will be required to present a commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is one of the key pieces of documentation required by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine if the shipment can be cleared. Doing your background [...]
