Category: Other Import/Export

After over 15 years of maintaining the same fee structure for International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) registration, the U.S. State Department has proposed amendments to increase the fees required for Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) enrollment. As a reminder, the export regulations require registration for those engaged in manufacturing, exporting, temporarily importing, or brokering of…

In the world of international shipping and e-commerce, the term “Section 321” has gained significance, especially among those importing goods into the United States. Under this provision of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, shipments valued at $800 or less can enter the country duty-free and without formal entry requirements. However, the…

In September 2021, the announcement of the AUKUS pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States sent shockwaves through the international community. This trilateral security partnership, aimed at enhancing maritime security, emerging technologies, and defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, has since captured global attention. In response to this significant development, the U.S….

Believe it or not, most exports from the United States do not require an export license to ship internationally.  (Ninety-five percent, according to the Department of Commerce.) This is great news for most companies, but what if your item or technology falls in the other five percent? Let’s go through some of the considerations and…

Shipping goods into the United States isn’t always a seamless process.  At some point, almost every U.S. importer will experience a clearance delay getting their goods through U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP).  What does this mean? In a nutshell, a clearance delay means your shipment hasn’t cleared Customs and is still in their possession. …

Years ago, I heard an enforcement official describe deemed exports like “hugging a cloud.”  As soon as you had your arms around a situation, it would dissipate – evaporating into mist, expanding, visibly there, but at the same time, somehow, not there. Fast forward to today, and the same government agency is trying to get…

The Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau is the official source for U.S. export and import statistics.  This agency is responsible for issuing regulations governing the reporting of all export shipments from the United States.  Any exporter who ships outside of the United States is responsible for complying with these regulations and for…

Do you slap “Made in USA” labels on your products or advertise in this way?  Can you, without a doubt, declare your products are – in fact – made in the USA?  This is one of the most overused (and misunderstood) proclamations companies make on the market today.  Ensuring accuracy is imperative because the consequences…

If your company imports or exports, you might hear the word Sanctions thrown around. You might even feel like Jan Brady and wonder why Marcia gets all the attention or, in this case, Sanctions. What are Sanctions? The word Sanction has several meanings and can be used as a noun or a verb, but in…

If you’ve spent the last year-and-a-half focused on Russia, hold that thought, and don’t take your eye off other bad actors around the world.  That’s what the U.S. Government is warning with its third joint notice, published earlier this month. The previous two notices were specific to Russia.  Now, the new notice warns U.S. institutions…