A hot topic in the news these days is the trade relationship between U.S. and China. It’s an interesting, if not slightly troubling, time for global economists, investors, importers and retailers. There are currently high import tariffs from China to the U.S., and vice versa. For Americans, importing from China [...]
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 [...]
Duty drawbacks have been around for a long time, and were first established in 1789. They were put in place to boost production and trade of goods for American manufacturers. Interestingly, these duty drawbacks are still used today, though there have been some changes and additions from Congress over the [...]
Importing goods over the border can be a complex and intimidating task. There are many rules and regulations placed on the import of goods by the US. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the importer is expected to have a thorough understanding of them. The least costly way to get [...]
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 [...]
There’s a fine line that separates intermodal and multimodal transportation. It’s nearly indiscernible; both are used as a means of cargo transportation and to determine the best transportation route while utilizing transport carriers in order to get deliveries from door to door. In short, intermodal shipping utilizes several different contracts [...]
You might not be as ready to import without a customs broker as you think. While it might not seem immediately obvious to you, customs brokers are a valuable piece to the puzzle if you want to run a smooth operation. Whether you’re a big corporation or a small business, [...]
If you’re a US importer, it’s a fact: at some point, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will probably target you for an audit at some point. Large or small, your operations and transactional compliance might be under a particularly watchful eye someday. Are you prepared with your customs audit checklist? [...]
The United States is one of the biggest tobacco importers in the world, competing with European and Asian tobacco importing powerhouses for a spot in the top 15. Americans love foreign cigars, imported cigarettes, and duty-free tobacco. In spite of — or perhaps as a response to — their popularity, [...]
You’ve been away on a vacation, and now you’re returning to the United States with goods and gifts. Depending on just how much you’re planning to bring back, the impending duty could be pretty steep… but it shouldn’t be a big deal, because you were out of the country for [...]
