|
Greetings!
Thank you once again for taking time to read our monthly
newsletter. We hope that you find it informative and useful. It
remains our goal to bring you a succinct recap of important trade
news covering from the last month along with one or two featured
articles.
Our readership continues to grow with every issue. If you enjoy
this newsletter please consider sharing it with your colleagues.
Simply click on the "Forward to a Friend" icon found at the bottom
of this newsletter.
As always, the Trade Innovations Team welcomes your ideas,
questions, or suggestions. We can be reached by e-mail at
info@tradeinnovations.com.
Sincerely,
The Trade Innovations
Team
|
| Trade News Briefs |
GAO Issues
Report on ISF:
The Government
Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on U.S. Customs and
Border Protection's (CBP's) Importer Security Filing (ISF)
program. GAO's objectives were to examine CBP's implementation of
the ISF Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements (also known as
the 10+2 rule) and the extent to which the data collected have been
used to enhance cargo security.
Regarding use of ISF
information for security, GAO found that CBP has not yet finalized
its national security targeting criteria to improve high-risk
targeting. CBP has used information on stow plans to identify more
than 1,000 un-manifested containers-containers that are inherently
high risk because their contents are not listed on a ship's
manifest. For a copy of the GAO Report on ISF
please follow this link: GAO ISF
Report
Trade Symposium 2011: The Annual CBP Trade Symposium,
usually held in the last quarter of the year, will not be held
until the spring of 2011 in Washington. As further information and
details become available we will publish them here and on the Trade
Innovations web site.
CBP Commissioner Addresses WESCON: In a major speech CBP Commissioner
Alan Bersin introduced the trade community to his 4 R's, refocus,
rethink, reassess and redefine. The Commissioner continues to draw
very positive reviews from members of the trade and others inside
the Beltway. For the full text of his speech please follow this
link: Commissioner Bersin WESCON
Speech
CBP Holds Webcast on ACE: On October 27th, as a part of the
Trade Support Network meeting just outside of Washington, CBP
senior management took part in an informative public webcast on the
status of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The ACE
program has been plagued by lack of progress and significant cost
overruns for the last 12-13 years. CBP indicated that they would
be linking a recording of the webcast on their site, but has yet to
do so. When it is made available by CBP we will post links on our
web site and in this newsletter.
CBP Revises Tips for New
Importers and Exporters: Late last month CBP updated their
web page called "Tips for New Importers and Exporters". While the
page is very busy, it does contain a lot of useful information and
it is worth a read. To review the page please follow this link: CBP's Tips for New
Importers and Exporters
|
Planning
Ahead:
The
US Importer Security Filing and the EU Entry Summary
Declaration
By Michael Laden
|
|
Since the earliest days of Christopher Columbus and
shipping goods around the globe, customs authorities at destination
first learned of a shipment's existence as it arrived within the
port limits and customs territory. This notification came in the
form of a manifest prepared and filed by the carrier of the goods.
These manifests usually contained very vague descriptions of the
cargo, which was then followed by a more detailed customs
declaration by the importer or consignee.
Times have changed. Today customs authorities
require detailed data
before a consignment departs at origin,
allowing time for customs to screen the shipment
for security purposes and to target suspect shipments with greater
granularity. (more follows, to read the entire article please
follow the link below).
To read the entire article
click here: Planning
Ahead
|
Your
supply chain...under surveillance
By Kelby Woodard
|
|
This week's UPS and FEDEX security scares will reverberate
throughout the global supply chain for years to come. For those
pundits who questioned the focus on security, their question has
been answered. There are bad folks stalking the commercial supply
chain. From cargo thieves to terrorist organizations, your supply
chain is under surveillance. If history repeats itself, the US
government will overreact with expansive and cumbersome security
solutions that are counterproductive. In this particular case,
scanning of cargo would not have discovered the explosive device,
however. The bad guys are smart enough to trick the system. The
answer to security has not changed since September
11th. Vigilance, intelligence, and layered security are
the only proven methods to deal with the threat we face as supply
chain professionals. (more
follows, to read the entire
article please click the link below).
To read the entire article
click here: Your supply
chain...under surveillance
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Wisps of
Wisdom
|
A Picture's
Worth...
Most
importers today have a database or parts master file that contains
certain attributes of the imported item along with the applicable
harmonized tariff number and other information necessary for
clearance. In today's digital age and with inexpensive
memory it is possible to actually attach images of the product
being imported to the product master file or parts database.
Depending on an importer's size, volumes, and the commodity
imported the use and importance of such databases cannot be
underestimated.
Last month a CBP National Account Manager publicly stated that
new
CBP compliance measurement guidelines and the ACE update that was
recently installed have placed additional requirements on CBP
Import Specialists. According to this individual the way
compliance measurement is currently working it appears there will
be many more compliance measurement entry summary
reviews. These changes are already resulting in
increased numbers of CF 28's and an aggressive review of the
descriptions used on commercial invoices. Vague or numerical
descriptions on commercial invoices will no longer be
tolerated.
Importers are advised to randomly sample some of the descriptions
they are currently using and if the product cannot be visualized
they should consider updating those descriptions or working with
the vendors to improve content.
|
Importer Security Filing (ISF) Made
Easy |
|
Often called "Turbo-Tax" for importers,
TRG Direct's best-in-class ISF and direct-filing application is
extremely intuitive and
very easy to use.
Leveraging all of the system
functionality you can literally file your ISF's in a matter of
seconds. TRG Direct's web based system is very versatile and
allows multiple users.
No permits or licenses
are required and any importer can file
their ISF's directly with CBP; and your ISF data can now flow
directly to a customs entry.
TRG Direct's pricing ($5 per ISF, or $3 per ISF if you also file
your customs entry with TRG Direct) can save your company up to 90%
off current market rates. TRG Direct accepts both XML feeds and
Excel uploads to expedite the filing process even
more.
Contact TRG Direct
today for a free demonstration of the
system.
|
 |
|
Global Reach
Global trade has become the
lifeblood of many businesses; it is an engine of economic growth
and the means by which millions of individuals make their living.
The volume of goods transported internationally continues to expand
exponentially. Yet national borders still exist, and with them the
need to comply with myriad reporting, documentation, and tax and
duty payment obligations. In recent years, ensuring secure trade
lanes and product safety in the global supply chain has been placed
at the top of the list of priorities for governments, resulting in
a new layer of complex requirements to be met to ensure that goods
can be moved quickly across borders. Across the globe, the Trusted
Trade Alliance is dedicated to helping your company achieve
compliant, efficient solutions to these challenges.
The Trusted Trade Alliance
provides a full range of consulting and training services focused
on assisting business in addressing the challenges of global
trade. We provide a comprehensive network of member offices
located around the globe, staffed to provide a consistent level of
expertise on 5 continents. Our members include noted experts,
well-versed in the local requirements of the countries you do
business in, as well as recognized leaders in multilateral efforts
to make global trade challenges as business-friendly and
practicable as possible. Our mission is to provide our customers
with high-quality, personalized consulting, training, advice and
assistance in the implementation of compliant trade processes at a
country, multi-country or global level.
|
Click here
to visit the Trusted Trade Alliance LLC (TTA)
site
|
|
|
