On July 10, 2018, the USTR published a 3rd list of products from China that are to be assessed tariffs. This group of products will be assessed tariffs at a rate of 10%. Note that this is different from the 25% rate to be assessed on list 1 and list 2 products. This 3rd list of products…
The USTR announced on Friday, July 6, 2018 the process for applying for exclusions from Trump’s first Section 301 Tariffs on products from China. The actual procedures for applying for the exclusion were later published in the Federal Register. Importers who have products on Trump’s first tariff list should make note of the following when considering whether they should apply for an…
President Trump has gone ahead and ordered the imposition of 25% duties on various products that are made in China. List #1 President Trump originally made his announcement of his intent to impose duties back on May 29, 2018. The original list of products to be subject to the duties was published by the USTR on April 6, 2018 and…
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is set to expire on December 31, 2017. Importers who have enjoyed lower duty or duty free status for products under GSP need to prepare themselves. This is not the first time that Congress has failed to reauthorize GSP at expiration. Assuming we do not see any quick action by…
Upon importation of merchandise, an importer assumes certain responsibilities to the U.S. Customs: making the goods available for inspection; labeling and packaging requirements; making records of transactions available for inspection; paying estimated, or any additional duties when and where applicable. U.S. Customs is authorized to take bonds to assure the performance of the responsibilities by…
Every shipping vessel that enters and leaves the United States is required to submit shipping records that document its cargo. This information filed to Customs is called “Automated Manifest System”. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, most of this information is a matter of public record. Sites such as www.piers.com, www.zepol.com and www.importgenius.com retrieve…
Duties and taxes traditionally must be paid to US Customs within 10 working days of the Customs release date. Most importers are not aware of the Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS) program, which allows payment of duty and taxes up to 57 days from the release date. An ACH account in conjunction with PMS permits duty…
Are you a foreign company and want to import into United States? Unlike the EU, Canada and Australia, sales taxes are not assessed during importation to the US. This means you do NOT need to register a Federal Tax ID when importing. Instead, Cargocentric can help apply for a Foreign Importer ID. The process is so…
Importers are responsible for submitting TEN data elements to Customs 24 hours PRIOR to vessel lading. This rule applies to ocean shipments only. The ten data elements are as follows: 1. Importer of Record Number 2. Consignee Number 3. Seller (Owner) – name and address 4. Buyer (Owner) – name and address 5. *Ship to…
Electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative way to commute. Importing them requires knowledge of regulations from three different government agencies. 1. DOT (Department of Transportation) The key question is whether or not the electric bicycle is considered an “on-road” or “off-road” vehicle. If a vehicle is not primarily manufactured for on-road use, it…