A message from your Tradewin friends in Canada:
What is softwood lumber? It is lumber from coniferous trees such as pine, spruce, and Douglas fir.
The top six uses for Canadian softwood lumber are:
And now, it looks like it’s going to cost American importers as much as an extra 25% if they buy Canadian softwood lumber.
Topics: North America
If you grew up as a suburban, middle-class kid in Canada like I did, you probably had some household chores that you were responsible for. One of mine was taking out the trash every week. I’d collect it up and get it ready to put out by the curb. I’d ask my Dad if there was anything else. He would suggest I roll my old car down to see if they would take it. Once it left the end of my driveway, I never gave it a second, thought. Our trash, not my car.
Was it bad for the environment? Could it cause harm to someone else? Could it be used to make a bomb? Ok, maybe a little dramatic.
Topics: Export Consulting, North America
The CBSA Audit Priorities were recently released for the second half of 2016. This gets called many things “Trade Verification Priorities” or the “CBSA Audit Target List” or just “2016 Audit Priorities”. Whatever name this gets really doesn’t matter, it’s a most wanted list.
Yep, the Marshal has put out the targets they’re gunnin’ for; and if yer importin’ them into Canada yer a most wanted importer.
Ok! You can lose the John Wayne or Yosemite Sam voice now.
Topics: North America, HS Classification
Put a band aid on it, it will be ok. Walk it off, you’re not really hurt and you’re holding up the game.
As a guy who has played hockey most of my life I have heard this many times. Then you wake up the next morning take a look and think “Hmm… That might need stitches”. Sometimes trade programs do not look as good as you thought, too.
Over the years, I have talked to many importers and exporters about the state of their trade programs. Most listen with great interest and agree that their trade program does not get the attention it deserves. I usually ask one simple question: How much of your business relies on trade?
Then there are the excuses for not paying attention to the international movement of your goods. When I was in school, I had plenty of excuses and now in my career I have hear lots of them.
Topics: Free Trade Agreements, Export Consulting, Import Consulting, HS Classification
How often does anyone really get free money? When you buy something at the store only to find out that you need to fill out the card and mail it in to get the rebate. Most people think about it on the way home and then leave the card on their desk.
But, what is the risk? You may end up giving some information to a company that probably already has your information. You may end up actually getting the money back. It is a minor investment of time to recoup some cash. An interesting statistic says that the majority of people who take advantage of rebates live in households that have an annual income of $100,000 or are between the ages of 35 to 64 and are women. Most of the rebates that go unfiled because of a technicality, it is not completed properly, or the man that gets it can’t be bothered to send it in.
I read another statistic that 70% of companies do not fully utilize trade agreements. When your country enters into a trade agreement with a country that you do business with, or want to do business with. What are your options?
Topics: Reconciliation, Free Trade Agreements
