Category: Best Practices

Let’s assume that you’re traveling internationally with your ITAR-controlled product and you have a valid DSP-73 license in place. (If I’ve already lost you with that sentence, then please skip the rest of this article and schedule a no-charge consultation with us today.) Rather than shipping the item to your destination, it makes more sense…

Beginning Thursday, November 26, 2015 (Thanksgiving Day), DTrade users must use new versions of all license application forms, as well as the DS-2032 registration form. These forms are to comply with an updated version of DTrade. The new forms cover all DDTC license applications, including: The new forms also include: Earlier versions of these forms…

EAR- Don’t Forget About The De Minimis Rule One of the lesser-understood rules in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), is the de minimis rule, which determines whether foreign-made products that incorporate U.S.-controlled content are subject to the EAR. While making international trade easier and better defining the jurisdiction and classification of items, the Export Control…

Looking for someone to conduct a gap analysis of your trade compliance activities? Consultants come in all shapes and sizes, with various backgrounds, skills and expertise. But not all consultants (or their assessments) are created equal! Before you give that consultant a green light, make sure you have a thorough understanding of what they’ll be…

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Your Business Development Manager (we’ll call him “Bob”) is at a military trade show somewhere in the Middle East. A guy from that region exchanges business cards with Bob, chats for a few minutes, then splits. A few weeks later, Bob receives an email from the gentleman, asking…

You may find your customers asking if your products qualify for NAFTA or if you can provide a NAFTA certificate. The logical questions that follow are: “What is NAFTA?” and “What is a NAFTA certificate?” In this blog, we’ll provide a basic overview of NAFTA in order to help with your understanding of this topic….

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once famously said: “The only thing that is constant is change.” In the world of trade compliance, country sanctions and restricted parties lists are no exception to this rule. Time and time again, I see people with printed lists of countries posted near their computers, to remind them of where they…

HTS Chapter 98 And Your Business Savings and more savings on duties and fees are available for exporters who import their U.S. goods back into the United States. These savings are not BOGO (buy one, get one). Rather, they are for all U.S. goods returned (and some Non-U.S. goods). Have you ever reviewed Chapter 98…

In my last blog article, we examined the Specially Designed Decision Tool. Today, we will explore the new “Catch and Release” concept when determining if a product meets the definition of “Specially Designed.” First, here is the definition in the current ITAR. [My Notes will be in brackets, boldface, and Italics. All underlines are my…

This is the first in a series of articles called Tools of the Trade, where we will highlight some of the most useful tools and resources for export compliance professionals. Keep checking back for future installments! Classification of items (products, software, technology, etc.) is at the heart of any compliance program. Never has this been…