Importing products is a great way to save money and increase your margins, but it also comes with some serious risks. It is important to avoid those risks and make sure you understand the rules or regulations before importing products. So grab your coffee (or maybe a stronger drink considering the challenges presented in this…
REGULATORY UPDATE The International Air Transport Association (IATA) now forbids shipping stand-alone lithium metal batteries, UN3090, and stand-alone lithium-ion batteries, UN3480, classified as Section II shipments via air. Section II shipments are smaller shipments of lithium batteries that had previously been granted exceptions for many of the IATA’s dangerous air goods shipping rules. The updated…
Regulatory Alert: APHIS Original Phytosanitary Certificate and Forms Required Effective April 1, 2022, February 7, 2022 WHAT IS THIS APHIS DATE CHANGE ABOUT? In response to the unprecedented challenges facing the trade from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) allowed importers of plant commodities to upload copies of phytosanitary…
By Scott Lincicome // CATO Institute As we at Cato frequently explain, “trade remedies” tariffs — antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard actions — are one of U.S. trade policy’s dirty little secrets. They’re insanely (and intentionally) complex, buried in layers of regulatory mumbo‐jumbo, and thus mostly ignored by politicians, media, and laypeople who often claim or believe that…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: What Importers Must Know New legislation that is intended to exclude products made in whole or in part with forced labor by persecuted minorities in China from entry into the United States will go into effect on June 21, 2022. The new legislation creates a rebuttable presumption that goods…
Are you a beginner at Importing Goods? Check out these 5 tips below: 1. Research the laws, trade barriers, and tariffs Basically, you want to make sure what you’re doing is legal before you try to import goods into the US and, potentially, run into trouble. The US might be known as a trade-friendly nation,…
A Transformative Approach for the Future of Trade Since the last comprehensive trade legislation reforms in 1993, growth in e-commerce, rapid technological change, and the continued expansion of the global marketplace have significantly altered how trade is conducted. As these shifts continue to accelerate and evolve, it is imperative for the U.S. Government to act now to pursue transformational reforms…
Internal Trade Policy In the following transcript, George W. Thompson discusses the likely impacts on American international trade policies under the Biden administration. Explore our international trade courses here. If you expected that the Biden international trade policy would mean a break from that under the Trump administration. Well, I hate to disappoint you, but…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a Federal District Court complaint alleging that Chemence, Inc. committed unfair trade practices by claiming its merchandise, glue, is “Made in the U.S.A.” The FTC is charged with enforcement of statutes prohibiting the use of “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” in commerce. Its lawsuit seeks an injunction against…
Parenting can be such a chore. Minding wayward little ones, cleaning up after them, and getting hit with six-figure Treasury Department penalties for their misbehavior can offset the joy of beholding the smiles on their cherubic faces. Did I say Treasury Department penalties? Yes, they can arise when the parent is a U.S.-based company and…
The Federal Trade Commission’s rules governing assertions that a product is “Made in the U.S.” can be confusing. As we’ve discussed on various occasions, that agency has strict standards on when claims of United States origin are permissible. I won’t repeat the Made In/Assembled In and qualified and unqualified claim distinctions here, except to note that they…
Is Trade Compliance the Lone Ranger? There are companies, surely not yours, where various departments are viewed as spokes around the hub of the trade compliance department. Each department operates as if trade compliance is accomplished “out there somewhere” rather than taking an active part in making sure the company meets its import and/or export…