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…
In addition to staying compliant with US Customs, animal food is also regulated by two other government agencies upon importation: 1. USDA Assuming the animal food product is made out of meat (beef, lamb, pork, poultry), the importer will need to apply with the USDA for VS import permit (VS16-3). The importer can apply online…
What are Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duties? Domestic U.S. industries have the right to petition with the U.S. government for relief from imports of products that they believe to be dumped (imported at less than “fair value”) and/or benefiting from foreign government subsidies. The U.S. government has the ability to impose Anti-dumping and/or Countervailing duties respectively…
Licensing/Documentation/Permits: 1. Basic Permit– Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, a Federal Basic Permit must be held by any person or business enterprise importing distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages into the United States. The Basic Permit is good at any port in the United States and must be obtained prior to the first importation.…
If there is ambiguity with determining the HTS classification of a product, the importer can submit a binding ruling request to Customs. There are three ways submit a binding ruling request. You can file an e-binding ruling request yourself. Customs does not charge any fee for filing and they usually respond in 30 days. Here is…