Previous Articles by John GoodrichOMG I'm Choking on Alphabet Soup—ROFLOL
7/12/2010 - by John Goodrich My kids have made me feel like a dinosaur for being so ignorant of the prevailing technology. Text or perish seems to be the mantra of the day. But after stewing about this for awhile I have come to a realization. I have not missed the texting revolution after all. Indeed, I have texted for years. I just didn't realize it. Of course, in international trade we don't call it texting, but we do speak in acronyms.
Socks First, Then Shoes
5/3/2010 - by John Goodrich When I get dressed in the morning, I put on my pants first, then socks and then my shoes. Some days I live on the wild side and put my socks on first then pants then shoes. I’ve learned through experience, however, never to put my shoes on first. These are lessons learned by most people as preschoolers. Why, when it comes to trade compliance, are so many importers and exporters walking around with their socks on the outside of their shoes?
The Cat and Mouse Trap
3/16/2010 - by John Goodrich Don't get caught in the BIG question trap: "Assuming you are correct and we are indeed doing things incorrectly within our import program, what is the likelihood of our company actually being caught by the regulators?"
Blurring the Lines Between Security and Free Trade
1/18/2010 - by John Goodrich Since its inception in 2002, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has operated under the twin goals of securing our nation’s borders while fostering economic security through lawful trade and travel. It was originally believed that any excessive measure that impeded lawful trade was seen as a victory for the terrorists. In order to win against the extremists, our trade must continue to flow freely. But a new Customs program and implementation of the Importer Security Filing (10+2) process have blurred the lines between the two.
The Three R’s of U.S. Exporting
11/2/2009 - by John Goodrich You all know about the three academic R’s, of Reading wRiting and aRithmetic. But are you familiar with the three Rs of exporting: the FTR, the EAR and the ITARs?
Not Child’s Play: CBP Forms 28 & 29
10/12/2009 - by John Goodrich If you are an importer and you notice that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is counting to 28 and then 29, it is not a signal to quickly run and hide. Instead it is time to make yourself visible and to make yourself heard. When CBP uses the numbers 28 and 29 they are referring to two official forms. As a former importer these were some of my least favorite communications with Customs. While I had nothing to hide from the authorities, the scrutiny caused additional work for me and my team and a certain amount of anxiety as well.
Importing Basics: ACE
8/31/2009 - by John Goodrich The Automated Commercial Environment or “ACE” is U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s commercial trade processing system designed to automate border processing, enhance border security, and foster economic security through lawful international trade and travel. ACE remains under development but includes a number of features and functions. The commercial importer will find direct benefit in utilizing two of these features: the ACE Secure Portal and the Periodic Monthly Statement.
A Case of HaruMpF and MumPF
7/13/2009 - by John Goodrich I am a new importer. When doing my research I was assured my product was duty free. My Customhouse Broker also told me he would only charge $120 for the entry. I just received my first invoice from my broker. In addition to the $120 entry fee I see there is a charge for $315 for something called “MPF” and another fee of $187.50 for something called “HMF.” Are these sucker charges? Is my broker taking advantage of me? My broker says these are supplemental fees charged by the government. How can something be duty free yet have additional fees of $502.50 tacked on?
|
