GSP Goods Subject to Section 232 (Aluminum and Steel)
In March 2018 the President signed the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018,” extending the GSP retroactive to the lapse period during January 1, 2018 through April 21, 2018. CBP has provided guidance as to how the process will work on GSP Goods Subject to Section 232 entered during the lapse period. This message is to further clarify the following: As of March 23, 2018, goods normally eligible for GSP – and are now subject to the [...]
Read MoreGSP Renewed
On Friday, March 23, 2018, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes provisions for extending GSP (Generalized System of Preference) retroactively from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. The Act does not become effective until April 22, 2018. Importers will need to continue to pay normal trade relations (Column 1) duty rates and flag GSP-eligible importations with the Special Program Indicator [...]
Read MoreUSTR Releases Proposed Tariffs List on Chinese Products
In March 2018, President Trump announced that the U.S. will impose tariffs on certain Chinese imports in response to China's policy of coercion towards American companies to transfer their technology and intellectual property to domestic Chinese companies. The U.S. Trade Representative just issued a press release announcing the proposed list of products – approximately 1300 – that will go for further review, public comment and hearing proc [...]
Read MoreOcean Carriers Announce Door Delivery Surcharge
Citing very challenging circumstances within the US trucking industry and difficulty locating draymen, two steamship lines, Hyundai and CMA/CGM, have announced they will be implementing a door delivery surcharge for all shipments in which they are responsible for container door deliveries. This surcharge of $300 per container, effective March 16, 2018 (CMA/CGM) and April 6, 2018 (Hyundai), is intended to offset the ocean carriers’ costs incurre [...]
Read MoreForced Labor, Informed Compliance and Enforcement
“Have you taken reliable measures to ensure imported goods are not produced wholly or in part with convict labor, forced labor, and/or indentured labor (including forced or indentured child labor)?” This is the basic question CBP asks in their revised version of the Informed Compliance Publication (ICP) – “Reasonable Care” – a revision brought about by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA). This Act was s [...]
Read MoreTransportation Costs Rising
Transportation costs are rising - faster than we’ve seen it in years. Over the past several months, we’ve seen a steady increase in international trade. The global economy is growing. While the demand for goods is increasing, so are the transportation costs for getting those goods to market. Space availability, supply and demand, new regulations and fuel costs all play key roles. Electronic Logging Devices One of the newest regulations i [...]
Read MoreGSP Due to Expire on December 31, 2017
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides duty-free treatment to goods of designated countries, will expire on December 31, 2017. Special program indicators (SPI) “A,” “A+,” and “A*” will be affected. GSP has expired several times in the last decade and each time, Congress has made the renewal retroactive. Anticipating a possible renewal, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued the standard procedures for e [...]
Read MoreIssuance of Wood Packaging Material Penalties
Customs has just published CSMS #17-000609 concerning possible penalties for violations of Wood Packaging Material regulations. To prevent the introduction of timber pests into the environment, Wood Packaging Material (WPM) that is imported to the United States must be treated to kill harmful timber pests. Treated WPM must display a visible, legible, and permanent mark to certify treatment. Customs is increasing its enforcement efforts rega [...]
Read MoreDuty and duty free initiatives that can affect your imported product
Following are two announcements that can have an affect on the duty you are paying for your imported product. First is the notice in the Federal Register by The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR will consider petitions to modify the list of articles that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The USTR will also consider petitions to modify the GSP status o [...]
Read MoreThe Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the official export credit agency of the United States. EXIM is an independent, self-sustaining Executive Branch agency. Their mission is to support American jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services. When private sector lenders are unable or unwilling to provide financing, The Export-Import Bank of the United States fills the gap. EXIM provides American businesses with the [...]
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